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|\     Frinceton,  N.  J. 


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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

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NOTES 


THE    PARABLES, 


THE  NEW  TESTAMENT, 


CRIPTURALLY     ILLUSTRATED     AND    ARGUMENTA- 
TIVELY    DEFENDED. 


BY    HOSEA   BALLOU, 

Author  of  'Treatise  on  Atonement,'  'Candid  Review,'  fee.  &c. 


FIFTH    ED.    STEREOTYPED. 

REVISED    BY    THE    AUTHOR 


BOSTON: 
PUBLISHED  BY  MARSH,  CAPEN  &  LYON. 

18  32. 


Entered  according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1831, 

by  Marsh,  Capen  &  Lyon, 

in  the  Clerk's  office  of  the  District  Court  of  Massachusetts. 


CONTENTS 


Arable  I 

The  Axe  is  laid  unto  the  root  of  the  trees. 

Page 

.     15 

Illustration.             .... 

19 

II. 

The  Winnowing  Fan. 

Illustration.           .... 

21 
.     23 

III. 

The  Salt  of  the  Earth. 

26 

Illustration.             .... 

27 

IV. 

The  Light  of  the  World. 

.    30 

Illustration.             .... 

31 

V. 

The  Offending  Right  Eye  or  Right  Hand. 
Illustration.                   .... 

.    39 
41 

VI. 

The  Strait  Gate. 

.  45 

Illustration. 

46 

VII. 

The  Wise  Builder. 

.   53 

Illustration.                      .... 

56 

VIII. 

The  Children  of  the  Bride  Chamber. 

.    59 

Illustration.         ..... 

60 

IX. 

Men  do  not  put  New  Cloth  unto  an  Old  Garment. 

61 

Illustration.                     .... 

62 

X. 

Neither  do  men  put  New  Wine  into  Old  Bottles. 
Illustration.               .... 

64 
65 

XI. 

The  Bruised  Reed  and  Smoking  Flax.     . 

.    67 

Illustration.                .... 

68 

XII. 

The  Unclean  Spirit. 

.    69 

Illustration.                 .... 

70 

XIII. 

The  Tares  of  the  Field. 

.   72 

Illustration.                .... 

74 

XIV. 

The  Mustard  Seed. 

82 

Illustration.                 .... 

84 

XV. 

The  Leaven.            .            .            .            . 

87 

Illustration.                .... 

88 

XVI.  \ 
XVII.  ] 

The  Treasure,  and               .            .            . 
Pearl  of  Great  Price. 

94 
95 

Illustration,           .... 

98 

XVIII. 

The  Net. 

101 

Illustration.          ..... 

104 

CONTENTS. 

XIX.     The  Unforgiving  Servant.          .  .                       110 

Illustration.                        .             .  „                  113 

XX.     The  Laborers  in  the  Vineyard.  119 

Illustration.  .....    121 

XXI.    The  Two  Sons.              .  128 

Illustration.           .                         .  .                 129 

XXII.    The  Treacherous  Husbandmen  .            ,          138 

Illustration.             .                          .  .    140 

XXIII.  The  Stone — and  subjection  thereto.  .            .         148 

Illustration:  .  .  .     149 

XXIV.  >  The  Ten  Virgins 154 

XXV. }  The  Talent. 

XXVI.  >  The  Sheep  and  Goats. 

Illustration.         .  ...      165 

XXVII.     The  Valleys  exalted  and  Hills  made  low.       .  187 

Illustration.  .            .                          .189 

XXVIII.    The  Two  Debtors.  ....           193 

Illustration.  ....     195 

XXIX!    The  Good  Samaritan.  ...           200 

Illustration.  .            .            .            .201 

XXX.     Importunity  rewarded.  ...           208 

Illustration.  .            .            .            .209 

XXXI.    The  Barren  Fig  Tree  .            .                       214 

Illustration.           .  .            .            .            .215 

XXXII.     Counting  the  Cost.  .                        .            218 

Illustration.  ....    221 

XXXIII.  )  The  Lost  Sheep.          ....  229 

XXXIV.  V  Piece  of  Silver,  ,            .      233 

XXXV.  )  and  Prodigal  Son.  ....  234 

Illustration .238 

XXXVI.  >  The  Unjust  Steward.    .  .  249 
XXXVII.  V  The  Committing  Adultery.           .             .            .252 

XXXVIII.)  Rich  Man  and  Lazarus.  ...         253 

Illustration.  .  .  .  .258 

Supplementary.    The  Resurrection  to  Life  and  to  Damnation.    283 


PREFACE 

TO  THE     FIFTH    EDITION. 


the  notes  on  the  parables  were  written  in  1804. 
At  this  period  the  light  which  has  now  become  gener- 
al, among  the  unprejudiced  seekers  after  the  true 
knowledge  of  the  Scriptures,  was  as  the  dawning  of 
the  day.  With  limited  discoveries  and  destitute  of  ne- 
cessary resources,  the  author,  at  the  commencement 
of  improvement  in  knowledge  of  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
attempted  a  work,  to  do  justice  to  which  would  re- 
quire attainments  and  talents  to  which,  after  so  long  a 
time,  he  has  not  the  vanity  to  lay  any  claims.  And 
yet,  the  humble  hope  which  he  so  long  ago  entertain- 
ed, and  which  was  expressed  in  the  preface  to  the 
first  edition,  has  been  abundantly  realized.  The  work 
has  unquestionably  been  a  means  in  the  hand  of  Provi- 
dence, of  leading  many  minds  to  valuable  improve- 
ments in  the  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures.  It  certain- 
ly has  exerted  an  influence  far  more  extensive  than  the 
most  flattering  hopes  of  the  author  held  to  view,  at  the 
time  it  was  written. 

On  account  of  so  many  of  the  parables  being  used, 
by  the  believers  in  endless  punishment,  to  support  and 
enforce  that  sentiment,  the  author  of  the  Notes  was 
induced  to  study  them  with  special  reference  to  the 
question,  whether  they  might  not,  with  more  proprie- 
1* 


PREFACE. 


ty,  be  applied  in  a  different  manner.  Of  this  fact  he 
became  fully  satisfied  ;  even  as  much  so  as  he  is  now. 
But  though  he  entertained  no  scruples  on  that  point, 
he  was  not  so  happy  as  to  be  fully  satisfied,  in  every 
case  as  to  the  true  intent  of  the  parable.  In  this  sit- 
uation, he  cautiously  endeavored  not  to  apply  any 
parable  to  a  subject,  which  was  not  found  to  be  em- 
braced in  the  system  of  truth  which  the  Scriptures 
clearly  and  evidently  support.  Little  harm  is  done  by 
applying  a  parable  to  a  subject  to  which  it  was  not 
intended  by  the  author  to  apply,  provided  the  subject 
to  which  it  is  misapplied  be  a  truth  clearly  supported 
by  either  Scripture  or  man's  experience ;  but  to  mis- 
construe any  passage  of  the  divine  testimony,  so  as  to 
give  support  to  what  is  not  true,  is  unquestionably,  no 
small  damage  ;  and  if  the  error  be  of  magnitude,  where- 
by our  heavenly  Father  is  represented  in  an  unlovely 
character,  or  our  confidence  in  his  goodness  diminished 
such  misconstruction  is  not  only  a  reprehensible  vio- 
lence on  the  Scriptures,  but  a  dishonor  to  their  divine 
Author. 

Some  instances,  illustrative  of  the  foregoing  re- 
marks, are  here  presented.  These  words  in  Matt,  xii, 
20,  '  a  bruised  reed  shall  he  not  break,  and  smoking 
flax  shall  he  not  quench,  till  he  send  forth  judgment 
unto  victory,'  may  be  understood  only  to  apply  to  the 
kind  and  gentle  spirit  which  Jesus  manifested  in  the 
days  of  his  ministry  on  earth,  without  doing  any  ma- 
terial injury  to  the  text,  even  if  by  a  bruised  reed  and 
smoking  flax  the  then  waning  power  of  the  tribe  of 
Jtidah  were  intended,  as  the  Notes  apply  them. 

We  may  notice  the  parables  in  Matt.  xiii.  44-46, 
which  read  thus  :  '  Again,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is 
like  unto  treasure  hid  in  a  field  ;  the  which  when  a 


PREFACE. 


man  hath  found,  he  hideth,  and  for  joy  thereof  goeth 
and  selleth  all  that  he  hath,  and  buyeth  that  field. 
Again,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  merchant- 
man seeking  goodly  pearls ;  who,  when  he  had  found 
one  pearl  of  great  price,  went  and  sold  all  that  he 
had,  and  bought  it.'  Notwithstanding  the  author  of 
the  Notes  applied  these  parables  as  the  honest  convic- 
tions of  his  understanding  dictated,  at  the  time  he 
wrote,  and  although  he  now  confidently  believes  in  the 
truth  of  all  the  doctrine  communicated  in  the  notes 
and  their  illustrations;  yet  he  is  not  now  as  confident  as 
he  was  then  that  these  parables  were  not  intended  by  the 
Saviour  to  teach  his  disciples  and  the  people,  that  in 
order  to  possess  themselves  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  by 
which  he  meant  the  new  dispensation  which  he  came  to 
introduce,  they  must  part  with  all  that  they  held  dear  in 
the  world.  And  he  now  thinks  himself  able  to  give 
more  than  mere  plausible  answers  to  those  objections 
to  this  application  of  the  parables,  which  are  sugges- 
ted in  the  notes.  Applying  these  parables  which  way 
of  the  two  we  may,  we  feel  satisfied  that  no  material 
injury  is  done  to  the  Scriptures  thereby ;  provided  that 
in  applying  them  in  one  way,  care  be  taken  not  to 
carry  the  meaning  so  far  as  to  oppose  the  Scriptural 
truths  embraced  in  the  other. 

The  second  edition  of  the  Notes  was  ^published  in 
1812.  At  this  time,  the  practice  of  applying  many  of 
the  parables  to  prove  and  enforce  the  doctrine  of  end- 
less punishment,  had  scarcely  at  all  abated.  The  work 
was  not  in  the  market  (a  small  edition  of  one  thousand 
copies  only  having  been  published,)  and  by  the  believ- 
ers in  the  impartial  goodness  of  our  heavenly  Father 
much  called  for.     This  induced  the  author  to  add  the 


O  PREFACE. 

Illustrations  to  the  original  work,  and  to  dispose  of 
the  copyright,  that  the  publisher  might  feel  interested 
in  keeping  a  supply  in  the  market.  At  this  time  the 
author  saw  no  cause  for  varying  the  application  of  any 
of  the  Parables,  from  that  made  in  the  first  edition ; 
and  being  all  the  time  engaged  in  controversy  with 
the  opposers  of  Universal  Salvation,  he  was  led  to 
manifest  more  of  the  spirit  of  defence  and  opposition, 
in  the  illustrations,  than  at  this  day,  when  the  contro- 
versy seems  nearly  decided,  and  the  arguments  which 
have  been  relied  on  to  support  the  cruel  doctrine  of 
endless  punishment,  nearly  all  abandoned,  seems  ei- 
ther called  for  or  justifiable.  In  relation  to  this  cir- 
cumstance, the  reader  of  the  present  time  will  make 
a  reasonable  allowance. 

The  third  edition  was  published  in  1822,  in  the 
State  of  Maine,  far  distant  from  the  author's  residence, 
which  allowed  him  no  opportunity  to  revise  or  correct 
the  work,  both  which  he  would  have  been  glad  to  do 
at  that  time.  During  the  time,  in  which  the  present 
edition  has  been  in  press,  the  feeble  state  of  the  au- 
thor's health  has  rendered  it  impossible  for  him  to 
make  all  the  corrections  which  better  health  and  more 
leisure  would  have  enabled  him  to  do. 

To  conclude  :  the  reader  may  be  assured  that  the 
sentiments  maintained  in  the  following  sheets,  are  ac- 
cording to  the  honest  convictions  entertained  by  the 
author,  truths  fully  and  clearly  supported  by  divine 
revelation,  and  of  a  character  calculated  to  administer 
no  small  consolation  to  the  sincere  believer. 

THE  AUTHOR. 

Boston,  July,  1831. 


PREFACE  TO  THE  FIRST  EDITION. 


Christian  Reader, 

To  mention  all  the  motives  which  induced  me  to 
publish  the  following  Notes,  would  extend  this  epistle 
beyond  its  proper  limits  ;  yet,  it  may  be  satisfactory  to 
note  some  of  the  most  important. 

It  has  appeared  to  me  for  some  time,  that  some- 
thing of  this  nature  was  as  much  needed,  among  chris- 
tian people,  as  any  thing  that  could  be  offered  from 
the  Scriptures ;  and  that,  on  account  of  the  very  dif- 
ferent manner  in  which  public  teachers  have  treated 
the  Parables  of  the  New  Testament,  and  the  disa- 
greeable consequences  arising  therefrom. 

Perhaps  it  may  be  said,  without  any  offence  to  the 
feelings  of  the  reader,  that  most  of  the  ideas  imbibed 
by  people  in  general,  in  divinity,  are  received  from  the 
pulpit.  And  while  one  congregation  is  attending  to 
explanations  of  the  Parables  in  one  way,  another  is 
entertained  with  different  ideas  on  the  same  passages. 
When  those  ideas  are  received,  they  form  quite  a  dif- 
ference in  the  opinions  of  christians  ;  this  dissimilarity 
of  sentiments  engenders  twice  as  much  disaffection  in 
the  heart,  where  nothing  contrary  to  charity  ought  to 
be  found  ;  and  this  disaffection  is  like  a  hot  bed  to  the 
seeds  of  contention,  and  roots  of  bitterness. 


10  PREFACE    TO    THE    FIRST  EDITION. 

And  although  I  do  not  expect  so  favorable  a  con- 
sequence to  result  from  my  little  Pamphlet,  as  a  gen- 
eral agreement  among  christians,  in  respect  to  the 
Parables  ;  yet,  I  entertain  an  humble  hope,  that  it  may 
make,  at  least,  an  approximation  towards  so  favorable 
an  object ;  perhaps  by  inducing  some  more  able  writer, 
who  possesses  more  leisure  for  writing,  to  favor  the 
public  with  a  treatise  on  so  worthy  a  subject. 

In  my  travels  through  the  country  in  discharge  of 
duties  enjoined  by  the  ministry  of  the  Saviour  of  sin- 
ners, I  have  met  with  more  opposition  to  the  gospel 
preached  to  Abraham,  from  false  notions  of  the  Para- 
bles of  the  New  Testament,  than  from  any  other 
quarter.  Often,  after  travelling  many  miles  and  preach- 
ing several  sermons  in  a  day,  I  have  found  it  necessa- 
ry to  explain  several  Parables  to  some  inquiring  hearer, 
when  my  strength  seemed  almost  exhausted.  At  such 
times,  I  have  thought  a  volume,  such  as  the  reader  has 
in  his  hand,  might  save  me  much  labor.  And  I  have 
often  said  to  myself,  if  God  will  give  me  a  few  weeks 
leisure,  I  will  (with  his  assistance)  employ  them  in  writ- 
ing Notes  on  the  Parables.  This  favor  has  at  last 
been  granted,  though  it  was  by  depriving  me  of  that 
degree  of  health  which  was  necessary  to  the  perform- 
ance of  those  journeys  which  I  had  already  appoint- 
ed :  yet,  preserving  so  much  as  to  render  me  compos- 
ed in  my  study. 

I  am  persuaded  that  a  just  knowledge  of  the  Para- 
bles is  almost  indispensably  necessary  to  a  knowledge 
of  the  doctrine  preached  by  Christ,  as  much  of  his  pub- 
lic communication  was  in  this  way.     It  is  in  the  Para- 


PREFACE    TO    THE    FIRST    EDITION.  11 

bles  of  Christ  that  we  learn  the  nature  of  the  two  dis- 
pensations or  covenants  ;  the  situation  of  man  by  rea- 
son of  sin  ;  the  character  of  the  Saviour,  as  the  seeker 
and  Saviour  of  that  which  was  lost ;  the  power  of  the 
gospel,  as  a  sovereign  remedy  for  the  moral  maladies  of 
man,  and  its  divine  efficacy  in  reconciling  and  assim- 
ilating the  sinner  to  God.  It  is  by  the  Parables  that 
we  learn  the  unprofitableness  of  legal  righteousness  in 
point  of  justification  to  eternal  life ;  the  absolute  ne- 
cessity of  becoming  new  creatures,  in  order  to  enter 
the  kingdom  of  God  ;  the  true  character  of  the  Sa- 
viour, as  the  Lord  our  Righteousness,  and  his  divine 
power  to  make  all  things  new. 

And  I  may  add  to  the  above  consideration  many 
friendly  requests  from  respectable  brethren  in  the  min- 
istry, and  many  of  my  hearers  who  have  made  them- 
selves partially  acquainted  with  my  manner  of  explain- 
ing the  Parables. 

Some  will  undoubtedly  ask  why  the  author  was  not 
more  particular  in  quoting  scripture  evidence  for  the 
assistance  of  the  reader.  To  which  I  answer :  my 
main  design  was  to  have  my  explanations,  or  Notes, 
derive  evidence  from  the  subject  of  discourse,  or  par- 
ticular circumstance  which  seemed  to  introduce  or  oc- 
casion the  Parable.  I  will  mention  two  particulars  for 
examples.  The  three  Parables  in  the  15th  of  St  Luke 
were  evidently  introduced  as  an  answer  to  the  Phari- 
sees and  Scribes  who  objected  to  Christ  for  receiving 
sinners  ;  which  objection  was  the  evident  occasion  of 
the  three  Parables ;  and  by  attending  to  that  circum- 
stance, the  reader  will  discover  the  propriety  of  my 
Notes. 


12  PREFACE    TO    THE    FIRST    EDITION. 

Again,  the  Parables  of  Tares,  in  the  13th  of  St 
Matthew,  continues  the  thread  of  discourse  from  the 
explanation  of  the  Parable  of  the  Sower  ;  and  by  con- 
necting these  Parables  as  they  ought  to  be,  the  reader 
will  find  the  evidence  for  the  propriety  of  what  I  have 
written  on  that  Parable.  Again,  many  quotations 
would  of  necessity  have  enlarged  the  work,  which  would 
have  occasioned  an  additional   expense  to  the  reader. 

Again,  I  do  by  no  means  wish  to  have  the  Bible 
read  the  less,  but  the  more,  in  consequence  of  my  Notes  ; 
I  wish  the  reader  to  search  the  Scriptures,  to  see  if 
these  things  are  so  ;  and  to  satisfy  himself,  by  becom- 
ing acquainted  with  the  most  valuable  of  all  books.  I 
have,  however,  on  those  particular  Parables  where  I 
saw  the  greatest  danger  of  error,  introduced,  as  I  think 
sufficient  evidence  by  quotations.  The  method  which 
I  have  pursued  in  most  of  the  Parables  would,  I  ac- 
knowledge, be  a  very  bad  method  in  sermonizing,  as 
the  hearers  in  that  case  would  be  lost  in  the  multitude 
of  particulars  ;  yet,  in  reading,  I  supposed  it  an  ad- 
vantage to  have  the  subjects  particularly  divided.  The 
reason  why  I  have  omitted  all  the  Parables  in  St  Mark 
and  St  John,  is  because  of  their  similarity  with  those 
on  which  I  have  written,  or  because  I  saw  no  proba- 
bility of  their  being  misunderstood;  and  the  same 
reason  I  would  give  for  omitting  some  in  St  Matthew 
and  in  St  Luke. 

I  must  tell  you  further,  christian  reader,  that  I  am 
not  without  some  fears  respecting  your  getting  a  just 
understanding  of  the  subject  before  you.  Should  you, 
when  you  have  read  it  through,  say  it  is  not  altogeth- 
er according  to  the  ideas  which  I  have  heretofore  en- 
tertained, and  dismiss  the  work  without  further  notice, 


PREFACE    TO    THE    FIRST    EDITION.  13 

I  am  sure  you  are  likely  to  understand  but  little  of  the 
matter.  It  will  be  necessary  to  read  it  a  number  of 
times  with  attention,  to  search  the  Scriptures  in  con- 
nexion with  the  Parables,  and  to  take  great  care  that 
you  do  not  admit  prepossessed  ideas  as  evidence 
against  what  you  read. 

Again,  should  you  hurry  through  the  work,  and  say 
it  is  a  good  thing,  and  acknowledge  the  ideas  to  be 
just,  without  an  exception,  and  pay  no  more  attention 
to  the  work,  you  are  equally,  as  in  the  other  case,  lia- 
ble to  know  but  little  of  what  you  read.  Suffer  me, 
therefore,  earnestly  to  intreat,  that  you  neither  justify 
nor  condemn  these  Notes  until  you  can  do  it  with  a 
good  understanding,  and  on  the  authority  of  the  Scrip- 
tures. 

And  may  the  spirit  of  Him,  in  whom  dwells  the 
fulness  of  wisdom  and  knowledge,  direct  you  in  these 
serious  and  solemn  inquiries  :  and  that  he  may  make 
you  all  wise  in  his  wisdom,  holy  in  his  holiness,  right- 
eous in  his  righteousness,  and  perfect  in  his  perfection, 
is  the  fervent  desire  and  joyful  hope  of  a  servant  of  all 
men 

The  Author. 


NOTES 


O  N 


THE      PARABLES 


PARABLE   I. 


'  And  now  also  the  axe  is  laid  unto  the  root  of  the  trees ;  therefore  every 
tree  which  bringeth  not  forth  good  fruit  is  hewn  down  and  cast  into  the 
fire.'— Matt,  iii,  10. 

These  wordswere  addressed  by  the  forerunner  of  Christ, 
to  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees,  who  came  to  his  bap- 
tism ;  and  it  is  worthy  of  notice  that  to  them,  in  par- 
ticular, he  thus  spake.  We  are  informed  in  verses  5, 
6,  that  Jerusalem,  and  all  Judea,  and  all  the  region 
round  about  Jordan  went  out  to  him,  and  were  baptiz- 
ed in  Jordan,  confessing  their  sins.  Now  to  this  vast 
multitude,  this  greatest  among  prophets,  said  nothing 
reproachful.  They  came  to  him,  humble  and  contrite, 
confessing  their  sins ;  and  he  stood  like  a  kind  shep- 
herd who  carefully  folds  his  flocks,  received  them  to 
his  baptism,  and  encouraged  them  in  their  good  work 
of  reformation.  But  when  he  saw  the  Pharisees  and 
Sadducees,  who  felt  that  they  had  no  sins  to  confess, 
and  were  confident  that  they  were  entitled  to  all  the 
ordinances  of  righteousness,  both  because  they  had 
Abraham   to   their   father,   and   also   that  they  were 


16  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

righteous  in  the  sight  of  God,  to  whom  they  could  ap- 
peal on  account  of  their  fasting  twice  a  week,  and 
their  paying  tithes  of  all  theirpossessions,  he  exclaim- 
ed, '  O  generation  of  vipers !  who  hath  warned  you  to 
flee  from  the  wrath  to  come  ?  Bring  forth,  therefore, 
fruits  meet  for  repentance ;  and  think  not  to  say  with- 
in yourselves,  we  have  Abraham  to  our  father ;  for  I 
say  unto  you,  that  God  is  able  of  these  stones  to  raise 
up  children  unto  Abraham.'  This  was  the  same  gen- 
eration of  vipers  whom  Jesus,  as  we  find  in  Matt, 
xxiii,  33,  thus  addressed :  '  Ye  serpents,  ye  generation 
of  vipers !  how  can  ye  escape  the  damnation  of  hell  ?' 
As  we  have  no  information  that  John,  in  his  ministry, 
ever  addressed  such  language  to  the  common  people, 
so  we  are  not  informed  that  Jesus  ever  held  such  lan- 
guage in  his  communications  to  the  multitudes  assem- 
bled to  hear  him.  But  on  the  scribes  and  Pharisees, 
whom  he  called  hypocrites,  he  denounced  the  woes  of 
which  we  read  in  the  New  Testament. 

lAnd  now  also  the  axe  is  laid  at  the  root  of  the  trees.' 
Ye  Pharisees  and  Sadducees,  ye  generation  of  vipers, 
great  have  been  your  advantages ;  great  have  been 
your  pretensions  to  holiness  of  life ;  much  have  ye  des- 
pised others ;  but  your  fruit  is  evil ;  ye  are  as  trees 
which  have  received  much  attention,  and  have  been 
sufficiently  manured  and  watered,  but  whose  fruit  is 
bad.  Long  has  the  owner  waited,  often  has  he  come 
to  find  fruit,  and  as  often  has  received  such  fruit  only 
as  was  offensive.  Long  has  he  delayed  what  I  see  is 
now  at  hand.     I  see  his  axe  lie  at  the  root. 

'  Therefore  every  tree  that  bringeth  not  forth  good 
fruit  is  hewn  down  and  cast  into  the  fire'  Unless  ye 
immediately  repent  and  bring  forth  fruit  meet  for  re- 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  17 

pentance,  ye  must  be  cut  down  as  cumberers  of  the 
ground.  That  this  is  the  sense  of  the  text  is  evident 
rrom  the  following,  Luke  xiii.  first  two  paragraphs, 
particularly  the  second,  which  reads  thus :  'He  spake 
also  this  parable :  a  certain  man  had  a  fig-tree  plant- 
ed in  his  vineyard ;  and  he  came  and  sought  fruit 
thereon,  and  found  none.  Then  said  he  unto  the 
dresser  of  his  vineyard,  Behold,  these  three  years  I 
come  seeking  fruit  on  this  fig-tree,  and  find  none  : 
cut  it  down,  why  cumbereth  it  the  ground  ?  And  he, 
answering,  said  unto  him,  Lord,  let  it  alone  this  year 
also,  till  I  shall  dig  about  it,  and  dung  it ;  and  if  it 
bear  fruit,  well;  and  if  not,  then  after  that,  thou 
shall  cut  it  down.' 

1  The  wrath  to  come,'  of  which  John  spake,  when 
he  said, '  who  hath  warned  you  to  flee  from  the  wrath 
to  come, '  is  described  by  Jesus  in  Luke  xxi.  22,  23, 
24.  Speaking  of  the  destruction  of  the  Jews  and  their 
city,  he  said,'  For  these  be  the  days  of  vengeance,  that 
all  things  which  are  written  may  be  fulfilled.  But  wo 
unto  them  that  are  with  child,  and  to  them  that  give 
suck,  in  those  days  !  For  there  shall  be  great  distress 
in  the  land  and  wrath  upon  this  people.  And  they 
shall  fall  by  the  edge  of  the  sword,  and  shall  be  led 
away  captive  into  all  nations ;  and  Jerusalem  shall  be 
trodden  down  of  the  gentiles,  until  the  times  of  the 
gentiles  be  fulfilled. 

John  adds,  verse  11,1  indeed  baptize  you  with 
water  unto  repentance ;  but  he  that  cometh  after  me, 
is  mightier  than  I,  whose  shoes  I  am  not  worthy  to 
bear ;  he  shall  baptize  you  with  the  holy  ghost,  (spirit) 
and  with  fire.' 

John  here  acknowledges  that  the  power  to  execute 
the  judgments  which  were  soon  to  fall  on  those  whom 
2* 


18  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

he  addressed,  belonged  not  to  himself,  but  to  him 
who  was  to  come  after  him,  who  was  mightier  than  he. 

The  emblems  used  in  these  Scriptures  are  remarka- 
bly beautiful  and  instructive.  The  water  used  by 
John,  seemed  to  indicate  how  easy  it  was  to  remove 
the  blots  and  stains  of  sin,  by  repentance.  '  I  indeed 
baptize  you  with  water  unto  repentance.'  As  unclean- 
ness  which  slightly  adheres  to  garments  may  be  remov- 
ed by  the  use  of  water,  so  now,  the  gentle  spirit 
of  mercy  seems  waiting  for  you  to  throw  off  your 
guilt  by  repentance.  But  if  this  favorable  opportuni- 
ty be  neglected — if  this  easy  method  be  refused,  migh- 
tier power  than  I  possess  has  the  axe  at  the  root  of  the 
trees.  In  room  of  gentle  means,  those  which  are  as 
violent  as  wind  and  fire,  will  rush  upon  you,  unre- 
strained and  unquenchable.  Wakefield  renders  this 
1 1  th  verse  somewhat  different  from  the  common  ver- 
sion. He  says, '  he  shall  baptize  you  in  a  holy  wind 
and  in  a  fire  ;'  and  it  is  certainly  very  evident  that 
means  which  would  be  more  harsh  and  severe  than 
those  used  by  John,  were  intended.  When  spots  and 
stains  are  indelible,  when  they  defy  the  gentle  opera- 
tions of  water,  a  power  more  subtle  and  penetrating 
must  be  employed.  As  the  most  unyielding  trees 
of  the  forest  are  prostrated  by  wind,  and  as  crude 
metals  are  tried  by  fire,  so  the  most  hardened  sinners, 
the  unyielding  impenitent  Pharisees  and  Sadducees 
must  be  brought  to  yield  to  the  severity  of  those  awful 
judgments,  which  were  then  gathering,  like  dark 
clouds,  over  a  people  whose  sins  seemed  to  call  aloud 
for  them. 

Should  the  reader  question  whether  it  be  reasona- 
ble to  use  the  word  wind  in  place  of  ghost,  he  is  in- 
formed that  the  word  in  the  Greek  Testament,  ren- 


NOTES    ON   THE   PARABLES.  19 

dered  ghost  is  Unvftxrt  which  may  be  rendered  spirit, 
wind,  breath,  or  ghost.     See  Parkhurst  on  Unvp*. 

These  instructive  figures  used  by  John,  were  also 
used  by  the  ancient  prophets.  As  an  example,  see 
Isaiah  iv.  4.  '  When  the  Lord  shall  have  washed 
away  the  filth  of  the  daughter  of  Zion,  and  shall  have 
purged  the  blood  of  Jerusalem  from  the  midst  thereof, 
by  the  spirit  of  judgment  and  the  spirit  of  burning.' 
Again,  chap,  xxvii,  8,  9.  '  He  stayeth  his  rough  wind 
in  the  day  of  the  east  wind.  By  this,  therefore,  shall 
the  iniquity  of  Jacob  be  purged  ;  and  this  is  all  the 
fruit  to  take  away  his  sin.' 


ILLUSTRATION. 

As  it  is  a  thing  well  known  that  the  foregoing  para- 
ble has  generally  been  applied,  by  christian  commenta- 
tors, very  differently  from  the  application,  made  in 
these  notes,  it  is  thought  expedient  to  enlarge  this  edi- 
tion by  candidly  considering  suitable  evidences  by 
which  the  subject  may  be  the  more  easily  judged  of. 

The  same  reason  which  renders  an  illustration  of 
this  particular  subject  necessary,  requires  an  illustration 
also  of  notes  on  other  parables,  which  I  propose  the 
execution  of,  in  as  plain,  impartial  and  scriptural  a 
manner  as  God,  by  his  grace,  may  assist  me  to  do. 

In  my  labors  on  this  very  important  subject,  I  think 
it  advisable  to  state  the  common  use  which  has  been 
made  of  the  text,  in  as  plain  and  concise  a  manner  as 
is  convenient ;  seek  for  the  relation  between  the  com- 
mon explanation  and  the  text  with  the  context ;  con- 
sider suitable  arguments  to  show  the  impropriety  of  the 
common  application,  and  also  to  show  the  consistency 


20  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

of  the  notes  with  the  text,  context  and  the  general 
tenor  of  the  gospel. 

The  doctrine  of  a  future  and  eternal  state  of  un- 
merciful punishment,  having  obtained  almost  univer- 
sal assent  in  the  christian  church  for  many  centuries, 
many  of  the  parables  spoken  by  our  Saviour,  as  well 
as  many  other  passages  of  scripture,  have  been  gen- 
erally used  to  prove  and  enforce  that  sentiment ; 
among  which  this  parable  spoken  by  the  forerunner  of 
Christ  is  found. 

I  said  a  future  and  eternal  state  of  unmerciful  pun- 
ishment ;  for  surely  that  punishment  which  is  never  to 
end,  cannot  be  said  to  be  administered  in  mercy, 
even  by  those  who  think  they  can  see  such  punish- 
ment to  be  consistent  with  divine  justice. 

Agreeably  to  this  doctrine,  it  has  been  generally 
supposed  that  the  true  meaning  of  the  above  text  is, 
that  by  trees  is  meant  righteous  and  wicked  men,  and 
that  every  tree  which  bringeth  not  forth  good  fruit, 
signifieth  every  wicked  man  who  bringeth  not  forth 
the  fruits  of  righteousness.  Hewing  those  trees  down 
and  casting  them  into  the  fire,  signifieth  the  cutting 
off  of  the  wicked  from  all  their  enjoyments,  and  cast- 
ing them  into  the  before-mentioned  state  of  future, 
eternal,  unmerciful  punishment. 

Let  us  now  look  for  the  relation  between  the  above 
explanation,  and  the  text  with  the  context.  Why  are 
the  trees  which  bring  not  forth  good  fruit,  hewn  down 
and  cast  into  the  fire  ?  Answer,  because  they  did  not 
bring  forth  good  fruit,  but  evil  fruit.  This  is  the  natu- 
ral sense  of  the  text.  What  is  the  evil  fruit  produced 
by  those  trees  which  are  to  be  cast  into  the  fire  ?  An- 
swer, sin.  To  this  answer  none  will  object.  Now 
look   carefully :  Will   the  cutting   off  ot  the   wicked 


NOTES    ON    THE       PARABLES.  21 

from  all  possible  comforts,  and  consigning  them  to  fu- 
ture, eternal,  unmerciful  punishment,  cause  them  to 
cease  from  bringing  forth  evil  fruit,  and  to  bring  forth 
good  fruit  ?  Answer,  no ;  for  that  punishment  which 
weans  the  creature  from  sin,  and  inclines  him  to  right- 
eousness, is  by  no  means  unmerciful,  nor  can  it  be 
endless.  And  surely  it  does  not  require  a  very 
critical  investigation  to  show  the  impropriety  of  hew- 
ing down  and  burning  trees,  because  they  bring 
forth  evil  fruit,  if  this  hewing  them  down  and  burning 
them,  will  in  no  degree  prevent  their  bringing  forth 
this  evil  fruit. 


PARABLE  II. 

'Whose  fan  is  in  his  hand,  and  he  will  thoroughly  purge  his  floor,  and 
gather  his  wheat  into  the  garner :  but  he  will  burn  up  the  chaff  with  un* 
quenchable  fire.' — Matt.iii,  12. 

As  these  words  are  a  continuation  of  what  we  have 
before  noticed  of  John's  address  to  the  Pharisees  and 
Sadducees,  and  are  the  conclusion  thereof,  they  ought 
not  to  have  been  separated  as  a  distinct  parable.  How- 
ever, as  they  were  thus  disposed  in  former  editions  of 
the  notes,  they  are  so  placed  in  this. 

It  may  be  well  to  bring  into  one  view  the  several 
emblems  which  are  found  in  this  address,  all  which 
seem  to  be  used  to  set  forth  the  severe  trials  and  judg- 
ments which  were  soon  to  come  on  the  Jews.  First 
the  cutting  down  of  trees  which  bring  not  forth  good 
fruit,  and  the  casting  of  them  into  a  fire.  Second, 
the  baptizing  of  the  people,  not  in  the  mild  element 
of  water,  but  in  wind  and  fire.  Third,  the  fanning 
of  wheat,  by  which  the  chaff  is  separated  from  the 


22  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

grain,  that  the  wheat  may  be  gathered  into  the 
garner.  Fourth,  the  burning  up  of  chaff  with  un- 
quenchable fire. 

All  these  emblems  were  unquestionably  designed  to 
represent  those  political  and  religious  commotions, 
those  terrible  judgments  and  trials  which  finally  over- 
threw the  Jewish  nation,  destroyed  their  city  and  tem- 
ple, and  dispersed  them  among  all  nations:  also, 
that  spirit  of  light  and  divine  wisdom,  by  which  all 
that  seemed  confusion,  was  efficiently  directed  so  as 
to  result  in  the  establishment  of  the  gospel  in  the  world, 
and  the  building  up  of  the  religion  of  Jesus  among 
men.  The  subversion  of  the  Jewish  polity,  the  over- 
throw and  dispersion  of  the  nation,  constituted  no 
greater  change  in  the  political  system,  than  did  the 
doctrine  and  religion  of  Christianity  in  the  ecclesias- 
tical. False  doctrines  and  spurious  traditions  were 
separated  from  divine  truth,  as  the  fan  separates  the 
chaff  from  the  wheat ;  and  they  were  consumed  as 
chaff  is  consumed  in  the  fire. 

This  work  was  suggested  by  the  Saviour,  as  we  read 
Matt,  xv,  concerning  a  controversy  between  him  and 
the  scribes  and  Pharisees  of  Jerusalem.  His  disciples 
informed  him  that  he  had  offended  his  opposers ;  to 
which  he  replied  verse  13, '  Every  plant,  which  my 
heavenly  Father  hath  not  planted,  shall  be  rooted  up !' 

By  the  use  of  emblems  similar  to  those  we  have  no- 
ticed, the  prophet  Malachi  represented  the  same  great 
and  astonishing  events.  See  chapter  iii,  first  three 
verses:  'Behold  I  will  send  my  messenger,  and  he 
shall  prepare  the  way  before  me :  and  the  Lord  whom 
ye  seek,  shall  suddenly  come  to  his  temple,  even  the 
messenger  of  the  covenant,  whom  ye  delight  in :  be- 
hold,  he  shall  come,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts.     But 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  23 

who  may  abide  the  day  of  his  coming  ?  and  who  shall 
stand  when  he  appeareth  ?  for  he  is  like  a  refiner's 
fire,  and  like  fuller's  soap :  and  he  shall  sit  as  a  refiner 
and  purifier  of  silver ;  and  he  shall  purify  the  sons  of 
Levi,  and  purge  them  as  gold  and  silver,  that  they 
may  offer  unto  the  Lord  an  offering  in  righteousness.5 
Again  chapter  iv,  first  three  verses :  '  For,  behold,  the 
day  cometh  that  shall  burn  as  an  oven :  and  all  the 
proud,  yea,  and  all  that  do  wickedly,  shall  be  stubble : 
and  the  day  that  cometh  shall  burn  them  up,  saith 
the  Lord  of  hosts,  that  it  shall  leave  them  neither  root 
nor  branch.  But  unto  you  that  fear  my  name  shall 
the  sun  of  righteousness  arise  with  healing  in  his 
wings ;  and  ye  shall  go  forth,  and  grow  up  as  calves 
of  the  stall.  And  ye  shall  tread  down  the  wicked ; 
for  they  shall  be  ashes  under  the  soles  of  your  feet, 
in  the  day  that  I  shall  do  this,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts.' 

ILLUSTRATION. 

The  common  use  which  has  been  made  of  this  par- 
able, is  the  same  which  has  been  made  of  the  former ; 
and  it  is  evident  that  they  were  both  spoken  on  one 
subject,  and  that  their  meaning  is  similar. 

But  that  they  give  no  support  to  the  doctrine  of  an 
hereafter  eternal  state  of  misery,  will  quickly  be  dis- 
covered, if  we  are  candid  enough  to  begin  our  inves- 
tigation by  asking  whether  there  be  any  proof  that  the 
author  of  these  passages  had  reference  to  a  future 
state  ?  This  question  being  before  us,  let  us  be  careful 
that  it  be  correctly  answered,  before  we  allow  ourselves 
to  draw  conclusions  which  we  may  find  it  difficult  to 
justify. 

Nothing  seems  more  evident  than  that  John  was 
speaking  of  a  dispensation  of  wrath   and  tribulation 


24  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

which  was  soon  to  fall  on  those  whom  he  addressed. 
He  was  not  speaking  of  the  ordinary  course  of  divine 
providence  with  man.  But  according  to  the  use  which 
has  been  made,  by  christian  divines,  of  these  parables, 
John  meant  nothing  by  the  wrath  to  come  only  such 
wrath  as  always  had  been  executed  on  the  wicked,  as 
fast  as  they  left  this  mortal  state.  Furthermore,  when 
he  said, '  And  now  also  the  axe  is  laid  unto  the  root  of 
the  trees,'  what  he  meant,  was,  that  the  axe  had  al- 
ways laid  thus  at  the  life  of  man,  to  cut  him  down  by 
death,  since  the  first  transgression.  Also,  when  he 
said, '  Whose  fan  is  in  his  hand,  and  he  will  thoroughly 
purge  his  floor ;  and  gather  his  wheat  into  the  garner ; 
but  he  will  burn  up  the  chaff  with  unquenchable  fire,' 
he  meant  that  the  one  who  was  to  come  after  him,  who 
was  mightier  than  himself,  was  soon  going  to  do  what  he 
had  always  been  doing ;  that  is,  cutting  the  brittle 
thread  of  life  and  sending  good  men  to  heaven,  and 
wicked  men  to  hell.  To  reconcile  the  language  which 
the  forerunner  of  Jesus  used  in  these  parables,  with  the 
use  which  has  been  made  of  them,  seems  impossible.  ( 

If  we  examine  the  strong  figure  used  in  the  parable 
of  burning  up  chaff  with  unquenchable  fire,  we  shall 
at  once  see  that  it  could  have  no  allusion  to  an  eternal 
duration  of  punishment.  That  which  is  burned  up 
does  not  continue.  What  could  more  unfitly  repre- 
sent immortal  beings  enduring  endless  burnings,  than 
the  burning  up  of  chaff? 

These  parables  seem  to  represent  the  nation  of  the 
Jews  by  an  orchard,  into  which  the  owner  is  about  to 
enter,  for  the  purpose  of  removing  all  the  trees  which 
are  but  an  incumbrance  to  the  ground.  Also,  by  a 
threshing  floor,  which  a  husbandman  is  about  to  purge 
with  his  fan.     The  time  was  then  at  hand,  when  John 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  25 

addressed  this  language  to  the  Pharisees  and  the  Sad- 
ducees ;  and  the  history,  both  sacred  and  profane,  of 
that  people  in  those  times,  fully  justifies  its  use. 
When  Jesus  addressed  this  same  class  whom  John  ad- 
dressed in  these  parables,  as  recorded  Matt,  xxiii,  he 
was  careful  to  inform  them,  that  the  woes  of  which  he 
spake,  would  certainly  come  upon  that  generation. 
See  verse  33,  &c.  '  Ye  serpents,  ye  generation  of  vi- 
pers !  how  can  ye  escape  the  damnation  of  hell  ?  (yum?.) 
Wherefore  behold !  I  send  unto  you  prophets,  and 
wise  men,  and  scribes ;  and  some  of  them  ye  shall  kill 
and  crucify :  and  some  of  them  shall  ye  scourge  in 
your  synagogues,  and  persecute  them  from  city  to  city  ; 
that  upon  you  may  come  all  the  righteous  blood  shed 
upon  the  earth,  from  the  blood  of  righteous  Abel,  unto 
the  blood  of  Zacharias,  son  of  Barachias,  whom  ye 
slew  between  the  temple  and  the  altar.  Verily  I  say 
unto  you,  all  these  things  shall  come  upon  this  genera- 
tion.' Nothing  is  more  evident  than  that  Jesus  here 
spake,  not  of  things  of  eternity,  but  of  things  of  time ; 
not  of  things  of  another  world,  but  of  things  appertain- 
ing to  the  present.  With  this  fact  his  lament  for  Je- 
rusalem evidently  agrees :  •'  O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem, 
thou  that  killest  the  prophets,  and  stonest  them  which 
are  sent  unto  thee,  how  often  would  I  have  gathered 
thy  children  together,  even  as  a  hen  gathereth  her 
chickens  under  her  wings,  and  ye  would  not !  Behold 
your  house  is  left  unto  you  desolate.  For  I  say  unto 
you,  ye  shall  not  see  me  henceforth,  till  ye  shall  say, 
Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 


26  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 


PARABLE  III. 

'  Ye  are  the  salt  of  the  earth  :  but  if  the  salt  have  lost  its  savor,  where- 
with shall  it  be  salted  1  it  is  thenceforth  good  for  nothing,  but  to  be 
cast     out,  and  to  be  trodden  under  foot  of  men.' — Matt,  v,    13. 

1.  As  will  be  shown  in  notes  on  another  parable  in 
this  chapter,  Christ  represented  the  operation  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  by  fire,  under  the  similitude  of  salt.*  So 
in  this  parable  he  speaks  of  his  disciples  as  answering 
the  same  purpose  to  the  earth,  by  which  we  under- 
stand mankind  at  large,  that  the  fire  or  divine  salt  did 
to  them. 

2.  He  shows  how  unprofitable  they  would  be  in 
their  holy  calling,  should  they  depart  from  the  spirit  of 
that  fire  by  which  he  would  baptize  them,  by  the 
worthlessness  of  salt  when  it  had  lost  its  savor. 

3.  That  instead  of  their  having  power  over  their  ad- 
versaries, and  wisdom  to  silence  gainsayers,  they  would 
themselves  be  overcome  by  them,  is  meant  by  salt  be- 
ing cast  out,  and  trodden  under  foot  of  men. 

*  The  reader  will  keep  in  mind  the  severe  dispensation,  which  John  the 
baptist  represented  by  a  baptism  with  a  holy  wind  or  fire,  as  noticed  in  what 
was  written  on  the  two  former  parables.  As  the  author's  views  respecting 
this  subject  are  some  what  different  now,  from  what  they  were  when  he  first 
wrote  his  Notes  on  the  parables  ;  and  as  he  has  accordingly  varied  the  ex- 
position of  the  two  first,  and  rendered  their  application  as  he  now  understands 
them  ;  he  desires  the  reader  duly  to  notice  that  what  is  written  on  this  and 
on  parable  V,  respecting  salt  unAfirc  should  be  understood  to  agree  with  the 
nature  of  the  before  mentioned  baptism.  This  dispensation,  the  author  now 
believes,  comprehends  all  the  awful  sufferings  which  God,  in  judgment,  sent 
on  the  people  of  Israel  ;  all  the  fiery  search  ings  of  divine  truth,  which  operated 
to  remove  the  errors  of  those  benighted  times  ;  all  the  divine  operations  of 
the  spirit  of  the  gospel,  by  which  the  people  were  purified  and  cleansed,  and 
made  meet  subjects  of  heaven.  But  in  former  editions  of  this  work,  the 
sense  of  these  parables  was  restricted  to  the  refining  and  quickening  opera- 
tions of  the  divine  spirit. 


NOTES  ON    THE    PARABLES.  27 


ILLUSTRATION. 


Agreeably  with  the  above  notes,  we  may  consider,  1. 
The  important  character  of  the  true  ministers  of  the 
gospel. 

2.  Their  liability  to  lose  that  influence  among  men 
which  renders  them  profitable  in  the  ministry. 

3.  The  disrespect  with  which  a  ministry  is  justly 
treated,  which  is  destitute  of  the  savor  of  the  word  of 
salvation. 

1.  As  it  js  the  nature  of  salt  to  save, preserve,  and 
season,  so  is  the  true  and  faithful  ministry  of  the  gospel 
efficacious  to  save  men  from  sin,  to  preserve  them  in 
uncorruptible  purity,  and  to  bring  them  into  that 
proper  temperament  of  mind  by  which  they  are  accep- 
table sacrifices  unto  God  through  Jesus  Christ. 

.  The  use  of  salt  is  seen,  in  the  directions  given  con- 
cerning sacrifices  in  Lev.  ii,  13.  '  And  every  obla- 
tion of  thy  meat-offering  thou  shalt  season  with  salt ; 
neither  shalt  thou  suffer  the  salt  of  the  covenant  of 
thy  God  to  be  lacking  from  thy  meat-offering :  with 
all  thine  offerings  thou  shalt  offer  salt.'  This  salt  is 
the  divine  power  of  the  covenant  of  God  to  save 
from  sin,  and  reconcile  the  sinner  to  God,  as  may  be 
seen  by  Rom.  xv,  16, c  that  I  should  be  the  minister  of 
Jesus  Christ  to  the  Gentiles,  ministering  the  gospel  of 
God,  that  the  offering  up  of  the  Gentiles  might  be 
acceptable,  being  sanctified  by  the  Holy  Ghost.''  The 
Holy  Ghost  is  therefore  the  salt  of  the  everlasting  cov- 
enant ordered,  and  in  all  things  sure. 

2.  A  departure  from  the  simplicity  of  the  gospel  of 
God,  disallowing  the  power  of  the  salt  of  the  covenant 
to  sanctify  and  season  the   sacrifice,  setting  up  creeds, 


28  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

modes  and  forms  as  necessary  unto  salvation,  leading 
proselytes  to  depend  on  a  righteousness  of  their  own 
for  acceptance  with  God,  is  undoubtedly  meant  by  the 
ministers  of  the  word  losing  their  savor,  and  becoming 
good  for  nothing.  Such  has  been  the  melancholy 
falling  away  of  the  christian  ministry,  and  such,  for  a 
long  time,  has  been  the  unprofitableness  of  their  labors. 
There  is  no  room  for  misjudging  in  this  case  ;  for  the 
multitudes  who  have  been  proselyted  by  them,  have 
discovered  as  much  unholiness  as  the  old  Gentiles  did 
before  the  gospel  was  preached  by  the  apostles.  This 
is  witnessed  by  the  cruel  persecutions  at  the  head  of 
which  has  ever  been  found  a  carnal  ministry,  imposing 
creeds  and  carnal  ordinances  on  men,  of  their  own 
invention.  And  the  great  want  of  charity  and  broth- 
erly kindness  among  the  different  orders  of  the  clergy 
of  this  country,  too  plainly  shows  their  want  of  that 
salt  of  the  covenant  of  God ;  while  the  ill  will  and 
injurious  bigotry  of  professors  in  general,  too  plainly 
discover  that  they  imitate  their  leaders. 

These  observations  are  not  designed  to  represent 
that  there  are  no  instances,  even  in  all  denominations, 
of  faithful  evangelical  ministers  of  the  word  ;  but  it  is 
very  evident  that  this  class  is  by  far  the  minority. 

In  departing  from  the  power  of  the  gospel  cove- 
nant, the  christian  clergy  have  acted  the  part  which 
the  prophet  Ezekiel  accuses  the  shepherds  of  Israel  of 
acting.  See  xxxiv,  4.  'The  diseased  have  ye  not 
strengthened,  neither  have  ye  healed  that  which  was 
sick,  neither  have  ye  bound  up  that  which  was  broken, 
neither  have  ye  brought  again  that  which  was  driven 
away,  neither  have  ye  sought,  that  which  was  lost ;  but 
with  force  and  with  cruelty  have  ye  ruled  them/  With 
unreasonable,  unscriptural.  and  cruel  doctrines  and  ec- 
clesiastical disciplines,  have  the  sheep  of  Christ  been 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  29 

driven  from  the  fold,  and  scattered  on  barren  moun- 
tains. Therefore, '  thus  saith  the  Lord  God,  behold,  1 
am  against  the  shepherds  ;  and  I  will  require  my  flock 
at  their  hands,  and  cause  them  to  cease  from  feeding 
the  flock ;  neither  shall  the  shepherds  feed  themselves 
any  more  ;  for  I  will  deliver  my  flock  from  their  mouth, 
that  they  may  not  be  meat  for  them.'  No  doubt  the 
Jewish  doctors  supposed  that  by  compassing  sea  and 
land  to  make  a  proselyte  to  their  traditions,  by  which 
they  made  void  the  law,  they  obtained  a  sacrifice  well 
pleasing  to  God,  though  they  judged  and  condemned 
their  neighbors  without  mercy.  But  they  little  thought 
while  they  were  doing  this,  they  were  the  children  of 
hell,  and  that  their  proselyte  would  be  still  more  so. 

On  their  feast  days,  they  could  rejoice  and  offer  of- 
ferings to  God  in  gratitude  for  their  successes ;  but 
oh  the  reproof!  See  Amos  v,  21,  22,  23.  '  I  hate,  I 
despise  your  feast  days,  and  will  not  smell  in  your  sol- 
emn assemblies.  Though  ye  offer  me  burnt  offerings 
and  your  meat  offerings,  I  will  not  accept  them ;  nei- 
ther will  I  regard  the  peace  offerings  of  your  fat  beasts. 
Take  thou  away  from  me  the  noise  of  thy  songs; 
for  I  will  not  hear  the  melody  of  thy  viols.'  How 
much  like  those  Jewish  doctors,  christian  doctors  are 
doing  and  have  done,  and  how  similar  to  the  rejection 
of  those,  the  rejection  of  these  has  been  and  will  be,  is 
not  very  difficult  to  see.  Societies  are  now  formed, 
at  the  expense  of  which  sea  and  land  is  compassed  to 
proselytize  men  to  those  sentiments  and  customs  which 
have  kept  the  christian  church  in  a  perpetual  strife  and 
debate,  persecution  and  blood,  ever  since  they  were  in- 
vented. 

But  3.  God  will  recompense  this  folly  on  those  who 
practise  it,  for  they  now  appear  like  salt  which  has 
3* 


30  NOTES    ON    THE   PARABLES. 

lost  its  savor,  which  is  henceforth  good  for  nothing 
but  to  be  cast  out  and  to  be  trodden  under  foot  of 
men.  The  Lord  will  surely  deliver  his  people  from 
such  shepherds,  and  make  them  who  have  dishonored 
him  to  be  lightly  esteemed. 


PARABLE  IV. 

'  Ye  are  the  light  of  the  world.  A  city  that  is  set  on  an  hill  cannot  be  hid, 
Neither  do  men  light  a  candle,  and  put  it  under  a  bushel,  but  on  a 
candlestick  :  and  it  giveth  light  unto  all  that  are  in  the  house.' — 
Matt.  v.      14,  15. 

It  must  first  be  remembered  that  Christ  himself  is 
the  true  light  which  lighteth  every  man  who  cometh 
into  the  world  ;  see  St.  John  i,  9  :  but  when  Christ 
had  communicated  the  light  of  himself  to  his  disciples, 
they,  acting  in  that  light,  and  walking  by  it,  would  be 
to  others  as  Christ  had  been  to  them  ;  see  St.  John 
xvii,  8  :  '  For  I  have  given  unto  them  the  words  which 
thou  gavest  me  ;  and  they  have  received  them.'  Verse 
18:  '  As  thou  hast  sent  me  into  the  world,  even  so 
have  I  also  sent  them  into  the  world'  The  apostles 
were  appointed  to  manifest  the  gospel  to  all  nations  ; 
and  whatsoever  maketh  manifest  is  light ;  therefore, 
Christ  declared  his  disciples  to  be  the  light  of  the 
world.  CA  city  set  on  an  hill  cannot  be  hid.'  The 
order,  regularity  and  harmony,  which  ought  to  be  ob- 
served among  the  disciples  of  Christ,  are  signified  by 
a  city.  And  that  they  ought  carefully  to  exhibit  all 
the  virtues  and  graces  of  the  gospel  as  conspicuously  as 
possible,  is  meant  by  a  city  being  set  on  an  hill  so  that 
it  could  not  be  hid.      'Neither  do  men  light  a  candle 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  31 

and  put  it  under  a  bushel ;  but  on  a  candlestick,  and 
it  giveth  light  unto  all  that  are  in  the  house.'  The 
disciples  being  lighted  by  that  true  light  which  will 
finally  light  every  man  that  cometh  into  the  world,  is 
meant  by  candles'  being  lighted,  and  that  Christ  had 
lighted  them  for  the  purpose  of  their  giving  light  to 
others,  and  that  they  ought  not  to  secrete  that  light 
from  the  world,  is  signified  by  a  candle  when  lighted 
being  placed  on  a  candlestick  to  give  light  to  all. 

Let  all  professors  of  Christianity,  and  especially  those 
who  are  called  to  the  glorious  work  of  the  ministry, 
remember  well  the  application  of  the  parable :  '  Let 
your  light  so  shine  before  men,  that  they  beholding 
your  good  works  may  glorify  your  Father  which  is  in 
heaven.' 


ILLUSTRATION. 

1.  We  may  notice  Christ  as  the  true  light. 

2.  The    ministers  of  his  word  partaking  of  and  re- 
flecting his  light  to  the  world  ;  and 

3.  The  impropriety  of  hiding  or  keeping  this  light 
in  obscurity. 

As  the  natural  sun  is  the  light,  glory  and  beauty  of 
the  natural  world,  so  Christ  is  the  light,  glory  and 
beauty  of  the  moral  world.  He  is  called  the  sun  of 
righteousness,  in  Mai.  iv,  2  :  '  But  unto  you  that  fear 
my  name,  shall  the  sun  of  righteousness  arise  with 
healing  in  his  wings.'  When  Simeon  of  Jerusalem, 
who  waited  for  the  consolation  of  Israel,  to  whom  it 
was  revealed,  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  he  should  not 
see  death  before  he  had  seen  the  Lord's  Christ,  was 
blessed  with  that  vision,  and  held  the  child  in  his 
xurnsj  he   blessed  God,  saying, '  Lord,  now  lettest  thou 


32  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

thy  servant  depart  in  peace,  according  to  thy  word ; 
for  mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation,  which  thou 
hast  prepared  before  the  face  of  all  people  ;  a  light  to 
lighten  the  Gentiles,  and  the  glory  of  thy  people  Isra- 
el7 St  John  calls  Christ '  the  true  light,  which  light- 
eth  every  man  that  cometh  into  the  world.'  Jesus 
calls  himself  the  light,  in  John  xii,  35,  36.  i  Then 
Jesus  said  unto  them,  yet  a  little  while  is  the  light 
with  you  ;  walk  while  ye  have  the  light,  lest  darkness 
come  upon  you  ;  for  he  that  walketh  in  darkness 
knoweth  not  whither  he  goeth.  While  ye  have  light 
believe  in  the  light  that  ye  may  be  the  children  of 
light.'  Chap.  viii.  verse  12,  he  calls  himself  the  light, 
of  the  world.  '  Then  spake  Jesus  again  unto  them, 
saying,  /  am  the  light  oj  the  world ;  he  that  followeth 
me  shall  not  walk  in  darkness,  but  shall  have  the  light 
of  life.'  Christ  is  called  the  light  of  the  gospel  cove- 
nant, or  new  Jerusalem,  which  St  Paul  calls  Jerusalem 
that  is  above.  See  Isaiah  lx.  1.  'Arise,  shine;  for 
thy  light  is  come,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  is  risen 
upon  thee.'  Rev.  xxi.  22,  23.  '  And  I  saw  no  temple 
therein  ;  for  the  Lord  God  almighty  and  the  Lamb 
are  the  temple  of  it.  And  the  city  had  no  need  of 
the  sun,  neither  of  the  moon,  to  shine  in  it ;  for  the 
glory  of  God  did  lighten  it,  and  the  Lamb  is  the  light 
thereof. ' 

Perhaps  there  is  no  representation  given  of  Christ, 
which  more  evidently  discovers  his  power  to  save  man- 
kind, than  in  those  scriptures  which  speak  of  him  in 
the  character  of  light.  Man  is  represented  as  aliena- 
ted from  God  through  ignorance.  This  being  the 
case,  the  knowledge  of  the  truth  would  reconcile  him 
to  God.  The  object  of  Christ's  mission  is  to  reconcile 
all  things  to  his  Father.     Whatsoever  maketh  manifest 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  33 

is  light.''  When  Christ  shall  have  manifested  the  true 
character  of  the  Father  to  mankind,  universal  recon- 
ciliation will  be  the  consequence.  Jesus  says/  Ye  shall 
know  the  truth  and  the  truth  shall  make  you  free  ;  by 
which  we  see  that  it  was  necessary  for  them  only  to  know 
the  truth,in  order  to  obtain  their  freedom  ;  which  shows 
their  bondage  was  the  effect  of  their  ignorance.  Jesus  is 
called  the  faithful  and  the  true  witness.  The  use  of  a 
witness  is  to  make  known  the  truth  and  certainty  of  a 
fact,  not  to  be  the  author  of  the  fact  to  which  he  wit- 
nesses. Christ  is  a  witness  to  mankind  of  the  Father's 
love,  as  has  been  observed,  in  a  quotation  from  Rom. 
v,  8 :  '  But  God  commendeth  his  love  towards  us,  in 
that  while  we  were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us. 
Christ  is  not  the  cause  of  God's  loving  mankind,  but 
the  evidence  to  us  that  God  is  love  towards  us.  The 
mercy,  and  grace  according  to  which  we  are  saved  and 
called, '  was  given  unto  us  in  Christ  Jesus  before  the 
world  began,  but  was  made  manifest  by  the  appear- 
ing of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  who  hath 
abolished  death,  and  brought  life  and  immortality  to 
light  through  the  gospel.'  The  action  of  light  in  the 
natural  world  is  not  to  create  objects  for  us  to  see,  but 
to  manifest  those  objects  of  which  we  are  ignorant,  or 
which  are  hidden  from  us  by  reason  of  darkness.  The 
things  of  the  kingdom  of  God  were  hidden  from  the 
wise  and  prudent,  as  Jesus  says  in  Matt,  xi,  25. 
And  the  power  to  reveal  the  Father  to  mankind  he 
acknowledges  to  be  in  himself,  in  the  27th  verse  :' 
All  things  are  delivered  unto  me  of  my  Father :  and 
no  man  knoweth  the  Son  but  the  Father;  neither 
knoweth  any  man  the  Father,  save  the  Son,  and 
he  to  whomsoever  the  Son  will  reveal  him.' 

The  things  which  were  hidden  from  the  wise  and 


34  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLKS. 

prudent,  did  as  actually  exist  as  if  they  had  been 
made  known  to  them  ;  if  this  were  not  the  case,  they 
could  not  have  been  revealed  unto  babes.  In  a  word, 
all  the  glorious  truths  of  the  everlasting  gospel  have 
had  their  existence  in  God,  in  all  past  eternity,  and 
the  whole  system  of  the  ministry  of  the  gospel  is  de- 
signed to  bring  those  things  to  light,  to  reveal  them  to 
mankind,  by  which  the  reconciliation  of  the  unrecon- 
ciled, blind  and  ignorant  children  of  our  everlasting 
Father  in  heaven,  may  and  will  be  effected. 

2.  We  may  notice  the  ministers  of  the  word  of 
Christ  as  partaking  of  and  reflecting  his  light  to  the 
world.  This  is  the  character  in  which  our  text  views 
them. 

As  is  observed  in  the  notes,  Christ  gave  to  his  dis- 
ciples the  words  which  the  Father  gave  unto  him,  and 
sent  them  into  the  world  as  the  Father  sent  him  into 
the  world.  The  Father  sent  Christ  into  vthe  world  to 
be  the  light  of  the  world  ;  Christ  sent  his  apostles  into 
the  world  to  be  a  light  also  to  the  world,  by  communi- 
cating the  same  words  to  the  world,  at  large,  that 
the  Father  had  communicated  to  him,  and  he  to  them. 
In  communicating  these  ivords,  the  minister  of  Christ 
is  a  light  to  the  people  ;  but  if  he  change  these  ivords, 
add  to  them,  or  diminish  them,  he  becomes  darkness. 
When,  on  account  of  Christ's  speaking  the  words  of 
life,  many  of  his  disciples  went  back  and  walked  no 
more  with  him,  Jesus  said  unto  the  twelve,  Will  ye 
also  go  away  ?  '  Then  Simon  Peter  answered  him, 
Lord,  to  whom  shall  we  go  ?  thou  hast  the  words  of 
eternal  life.''  In  the  context,  Jesus  informs  his  disciples 
that  the  words  which  he  spake  to  them  were  spirit  and 
life;  see  St.  John  vi,  63,  &c.  Here  we  have  a  very 
plain  account  of  the  words  which  the  Father  gave  to 


NOTES    ON    THE       PARABLES.  35 

Christ,  and  which  Christ  also  gave  to  his  apostles  to 
preach  to  the  world  of  mankind.  They  are  the  words 
of  eternal  life ;  they  are  spirit.  In  preaching  the  words 
of  eternal  life,  the  true  minister  of  Jesus  Christ  is  a 
light  to  the  world.  In  preaching  the  words  of  spirit 
and  life,  the  true  minister  of  Christ  is  a  light  to  man- 
kind. , 

It  may  be  well  to  notice  contrary  ivords,  in  order  to 
see  the  contrast.  The  opposite  of  eternal  life  is  eter- 
nal death.  The  opposite  of  spirit  and  life  is  flesh  and 
death.  The  words  of  eternal  death  we  have  heard 
from  the  lips  of  a  ministry  which,  having  lost  the  salt 
of  the  covenant  of  God,  possesses  no  longer  the  sa- 
vor of  the  word,  and  therefore  has  changed  the  words 
of  eternal  life,  for  words  more  consistent  with  the 
darkness  and  alienation  of  their  minds. 

As  has  been  observed,  the  action  of  light  is  to  make 
manifest  things  which  do  exist,  and  the  duty  of  a  wit- 
ness is  to  testify  of  things  which  are.  Thus  the  char- 
acter of  light,  and  the  character  of  a  witness  is  the 
same.  It  has  been  observed,  that  Christ  was  not  the 
cause  of  God's  love  to  us,  but  the  witness  to  mani- 
fest, or  commend  that  love  to  us  ;  and  it  may  be  proper 
to  notice  likewise,  as  has  been  observed,  that  the  mercy 
and  grace,  according  to  which  we  are  called,  was 
given  unto  us  in  Christ  Jesus  before  the  world  began, 
but  was  made  manifest  by  the  appearing  of  our  Lord 
and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ ;  who  hath  abolished  death 
and  brought  life  and  immortality  to  light  through  the 
gospel.  As  it  is  evident  that  the  work  of  the  Saviour 
was  to  make  known  to  the  world  of  mankind,  the 
good  things  which  were  proposed  in  the  eternal  coun- 
sel of  God's  good  pleasure,  we  ought  not  to  suppose 
that  those  good  things  were  granted  us  as  favors  pur- 


36  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

chased  ly  Christ  of  the  Father.  Nor  is  it  the  work 
of  the  true  gospel  ministry  to  initiate  mankind  into 
any  scheme  by  which  they  may  secure  to  themselves 
the  love,  favor  or  mercy  of  God  ;  or  whereby  they 
may  obtain  an  heirship  with  the  sons  of  God.  But 
the  labor  of  the  true  ministers  is  to  hear  witness  of 
those  things  which  their  eyes  have  seen,  their  ears  have 
heard,  and  their  hands  have  handled  of  the  word  of 
life.  When  the  preacher  forgets  Christ,  and  preach- 
es, exhorts  and  warns  the  people  to  secure  an  interest  in 
Christ,  and  sets  forth  the  awful  consequences  of  neg- 
lect, he  is  very  far  from  being  a  faithful  and  true  wit- 
ness. '  For  the  spirit  itself,  beareth  ivitness  with  our 
spirits  that  we  are  the  children  of  God  ;  and  if  chil- 
dren, then  heirs,  heirs  of  God,  and  joint  heirs  with  Jesus 
Christ.' 

When  the  devout  Ananias  was  sent  to  Saul  when 
blind  at  Damascus,  he  stood  by  him  and  said, '  The 
God  of  our  fathers  hath  chosen  thee,  that  thou  should- 
est  know  his  will,  and  see  that  Just  One,  and  shouldest 
hear  the  voice  of  his  mouth.  For  thou  shalt  be  his 
witness  unto  all  men  of  what  thou  hast  seen  and  heard.'' 
And  this  testimony  agrees  with  the  words  spoken  by 
the  Lord  himself  to  Saul  when  he  met  him  in  the 
way, '  I  have  appeared  unto  thee  for  this  purpose,  to 
make  thee  a  minister  and  a  witness,  both  of  these 
things  which  thou  hast  seen,  and  of  those  things  in 
the  which  I  will  appear  unto  thee.' 

In  bearing  the  testimony  of  Jesus  to  the  world  of 
mankind,  Paul  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  bear  witness 
of  the  things  which  he  had  seen,  and  those  in  which 
his  divine  master  would  appear  unto  him. 

The  Saviour  of  sinners  never  instructed  Saul  the  per- 
secutor, how  to  obtain  an  interest  in  his  love ;  but  he 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  37 

revealed  the  love  of  the  Father  in  his  soul,  by  his 
quickening  spirit,  and  sent  him  to  bear  witness  to  sin- 
ners of  the  love  and  mercy  of  God  towards  them. 
Thus  he  testifies/  This  is  a  faithful  saying,  and  worthy 
of  all  acception,  that  Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world 
to  save  sinners,  of  whom  I  am  chief.' 

The  true  ministry  in  which  the  apostles  were  the 
light  of  the  world,  may  be  learned  from  the  account 
which  St  Paul  gave  to  the  Corinthians  in  the  follow- 
ing words :  '  And  all  things  are  of  God,  who  hath  rec- 
onciled us  to  himself  by  Jesus  Christ,  and  hath  given 
to  us  the  ministry  of  reconciliation  ;  to  wit,  that  God 
was  in  Christ  reconciling  the  world  unto  himself,  not 
imputing  their  trespasses  unto  them.'  In  the  true 
ministry  of  the  gospel  in  which  the  servants  of  Christ 
are  the  light  of  the  world,  there  is  no  imputation  of 
sin  to  the  world.  It  holds  up  to  view  the  Lamb  of 
God,  who  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world ;  it  is  a 
testimony  of  him,  who  says/  I  came  not  to  judge  the 
world,  but  to  save  the  world  ;'  it '  knows  nothing  save 
Christ  and  him  crucified.' 

3.  The  necessity  of  this  light's  shining  clearly,  and 
the  impropriety  of  its  being  obscured,  are  considera- 
tions which  ever  ought  to  lie  with  weight  on  the  minds 
of  those  who  are  called  by  the  grace  of  God,  to  bear 
witness  to  the  truth  as  it  is   in  Jesus. 

1.  The  infinite  importance  of  the  things  to  be  made 
manifest  by  this  light,  and  to  be  testified  of  by  the 
faithful  witnesses,  is  of  consequence  in  a  due  con 
sideration  of  this  subject.  These  things  are  divine 
realities  :  they  comprehend  the  love  of  an  infinitely 
wise  and  merciful  God,  his  divine  purpose  which  he 
purposed  in  himself  concerning  the  final  reconciliation 
of  all  things  to  himself,  and  the  means  by  which  he 
4 


38  NOTES  ON    THE    PARABLES. 

2.  The  darkness,  ignorance  and  consequent  aliena- 
tion of  mankind  from  God,  calls  aloud  for  the  light  to 
be  placed  in  a  conspicuous  place,  that  all  may  see. 
The  misery  of  mankind  in  consequence  of  not  know- 
ing the  truth,  calls  aloud  for  the  true  witness  to  be  faith- 
ful in  his  testimony. 

Mankind,  deceived,  led  by  carnal  mindedness,  and 
alienated  from  God,  are  represented  as  being  in  the 
prison-house,  from  which  they  are  to  be  delivered  by 
the  testimony  of  the  faithful  and  true  witness,  as  ex- 
pressed by  the  prophet, '  I  the  Lord  have  called  thee 
in  righteousness,  and  will  hold  thine  hand,  and  will 
keep  thee,  and  give  thee  for  a  covenant  to  the  people, 
for  a  light  of  the  Gentiles ;  to  open  the  blind  eyes,  to 
bring  out  the  prisoners  from  the  prison,  and  them  that 
sit  in  darkness  out  of  the  prison-house.'  And  in  this  is 
exemplified  the  truth  of  that  scripture  which  saith, '  A 
true  witness  delivereth  souls.' 

Though  we  have  great  reason  to  rejoice,  that  there 
are  any  who  are  willing,  by  the  help  of  divine  grace, 
to  bear  that  true  testimony  by  which  souls  are  deliver- 
ed, yet  we  have  reason  to  regret  that  the  number  is  much 
greater  who  give  a  contrary  testimony,  which  is  too  suc- 
cessful in  blinding  the  minds  of  those  who  are  already  too 
much  in  the  dark.  And  many  there  are,  it  is  to  be  fear- 
ed, who  have  the  words  of  eternal  life  put  into  their 
mouths,  yet  are  fond  of  making  a  poor  excuse  to  pal- 
liate their  neglect  in  not  letting  their  light  shine  before 
men. 

May  he  who  walketh  among  the  golden  candlesticks, 
make  his  angels  spirits,  and  his  ministers  flames  of  fire. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 


39 


PARABLE    V. 

« And  if  thy  right  eye  offend  thee,  (or  cause  thee  to  offend,)  pluck  it  out 
and  cast  it  from  thee:  for  it  is  profitable  for  thee  that  one  of  thy  members 
hould  perish,  and  not  that  thy  whole  body  should  be  cast  into  hell.  And  if 
thy  right  hand  offend  thee,  (or  cause  thee  to  offend)  cut  it  off,  and  cast  it 
from  thee:  for  it  is  profitable  for  thee  that  one  of  thy  members  should  perish, 
and  not  that  thy  whole  body  should  be  cast  into  hell.'— Matt.  v.  29,  30. 

It  is  evident  that  Christ  spake  these  words  by  way 
of  parable  ;  for,  literally  speaking,  the  loss  of  an  eye  or 
an  hand  would  make  no  difference  with  a  man  in  a 
moral  or  a  religious  sense. 

Some  have  understood  that  by  a  right  eye,  or  a  right 
hand,  was  meant  those  particular  sins  to  which  men 
were  most  prone,  or  violently  attached.  Others  sup- 
pose that  particular  friends  and  connexions  in  life,  who, 
being  unfriendly  to  the  religion  of  Christ,  might  lead 
us  astray,  or  cause  us  to  offend  against  the  glorious 
cause  of  the  Redeemer,  were  to  be  understood  by  the 
right  eye  or  the  right  hand  ;  and  as  there  is  nothing 
in  either  explanation  which  can  immediately  tend  to 
any  gross  corruption,  I  need  not  be  very  particular  on 
this  part  of  the  subject ;  though  perhaps  the  latter  ex- 
planation would  better  comport  with  the  like  passage 
in  St.  Mark,  where  the  person  is  represented  as  maim- 
ed in  consequence  of  parting  with  a  hand.  As  parting 
with  our  friends  causes  the  sense  of  maimedness  more 
than  the  parting  with  our  sins,  perhaps  we  should  do 
well  to  decide  in  favor  of  the  latter  explanation. 


40  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

We  pass  to  take  notice  of  the  hell  mentioned  in  the 
text.  The  word  hell  is,  undoubtedly,  variously  used  in 
Scripture,  but  always  means  misery  and  trouble  when 
used  in  a  moral  sense  ;  in  which  sense  it  is  evidently 
used  in  the  above  passage.  David,  in  Psalm  xviii, 
5,  says,  The  sorrows  of  hell  compassed  me  about. 
Psalm  lxxxvi,  13  :  *  Thou  hast  delivered  my  soul  from 
the  loivest  hell.''  If  we  consider  David  here  speaking 
of  himself,  it  brings  to  mind  that  awful  iniquity  of 
which  he  was  guilty,  and  the  crime  for  which  he  con- 
demned himself  before  Nathan  the  prophet.  And 
who  can  describe  the  anguish  of  a  soul  lying  under 
the  guilt  of  a  crime  of  as  crimson  a  die  as  any  record- 
ed in  Scripture  ?  No  wonder  David  spake  so  highly 
of  the  goodness  of  the  Lord  in  granting  him  a  gra- 
cious remission  of  his  sins,  and  a  release  from  the  bond- 
age of  iniquity  and  hell  of  guilt. 

But  before  we  dismiss  this  Parable,  we  will  take 
particular  notice  of  its  corresponding  passage  in  St. 
Mark  ;  more  particularly  of  that  fire  of  which  it  is  said, 
it  shall  never  go  out.  This  fire  is  the  same,  no  doubt 
as  described  in  Notes  on  former  Parables  :  perhaps  the 
same  fire  is  alluded  to  in  Deuteronomy  xxxii,  22  :  'For 
a.  fire  is  kindled  in  mine  anger,  and  shall  burn  unto 
the  lowest  hell,9  &c.  Here  observe,  this  fire  was  to 
burn  unto  the  lowest  hell,  which  teaches  us  that  sub- 
lime truth  of  the  agency  of  the  Divine  Spirit  in  reprov- 
ing the  world  of  sin,  and  cleansing  it  from  all  iniquity 
by  the  blood  of  the  cross.  And  that  we  are  right  res- 
pecting this  fire,  the  conclusion  will  fully  evince.  Ob- 
serve Mark  ix,  49 :  '  For  every  one  shall  be  salted  with 
fire,  and  every  sacrifice  shall  be  salted  with  salt.'  Re- 
member that  we  are  exhorted  to  offer  our  bodies  a  liv- 
ing sacrifice  to  God,  which  is  our  reasonable  service ;  but 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  41 

this  cannot  be  done  until  we  are  salted  with  fire.  Again, 
in  verse  50,  Christ  says, '  Salt  is  good ;  but  if  the  salt 
have  lost  its  saltness,  wherewith  will  ye  season  it  V 
that  is,  the  sacrifice.  But  we  are  not  to  suppose  that 
this  divine  fire  can  change  in  itself,  but  that  it  may  be 
quenched  in  us  ;  and,  therefore,  we  are  exhorted  not  to 
quench  the  Spirit.  And  Christ  closes,  by  exhorting 
his  disciples  to  have  salt  in  themselves,  (which  salt  is 
that  fire  which  can  never  be  quenched,)  and  to  have  peace 
one  with  another.  Here,  undoubtedly,  we  see  the 
end  of  the  holy  fire  on  the  altar  of  sacrifice  used  in 
the  priesthood  of  the  law. 

ILLUSTRATION. 

Because  it  is  said  in  Mark  ix,  that  the  fire,  into 
which  the  subject  should  be  cast,  •  never  shall  be  quench- 
ed,' the  passage  has  generally  been  applied  to  the  sup- 
port of  the  doctrine  of  future,  eternal  unmerciful  pun- 
ishment. And  indeed,  all  similar  passages  must  be  ap- 
plied to  that  use,  or  that  doctrine  must  lose  the  credit 
which  has,  for  a  long  time,  perhaps  too  implicitly,  been 
given  to  it. 

To  show  that  such  doctrine  has  no  natural  connex- 
ion with  the  text  and  context,  we  may  notice  the  fol- 
lowing particulars  : 

1.  Those  to  whom  the  words  of  the  Parable  were 
spoken. 

2.  The  character  of  the  speaker,  as  he  stood  in  re- 
lation to  those  to  whom  he  spake  ;  and 

3.  The  nature  and  manifest  design  of  the  fire  which 
is  never  to  be  quenched. 

1.  According  to  the  connexion  of  the  text,  where  it  is 

found  in  Matthew  v,  Jesus  spake  these  words  to  those 

4* 


42  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

whom  he  calls  in  the  13th  verse  '  the  salt  of  the  earth/ 
and  in  the  14th  '  the  light  of  the  world.'  According 
to  the  connexion  in  Mark  ix,  these  words  were  spoken 
by  Christ  to  his  disciples,  as  may  be  seen  by  reading 
from  the  31st  verse  to  the  end  of  the  chapter. 

2.  The  character  in  which  Jesus  stood,  in  relation  to 
his  disciples  may  be  learned  by  the  following  scrip- 
tures :  St.  John  xv,  12,  &,c.  '  This  is  my  command- 
ment, that  ye  love  one  another,  as  I  have  loved  you. 
Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that  a  man  lay 
down  his  life  for  his  friends.  Ye  are  my  friends,  if  ye 
do  whatsoever  I  command  you.  Henceforth  I  call 
you  not  servants ;  for  the  servant  knoweth  not  what 
his  lord  doeth  ;  but  I  have  called  you  friends,  for  all 
things  that  I  have  heard  of  my  Father  I  have  made 
known  unto  you.'  See  also  chap,  xiii,  34  :  'A  new 
commandment  I  give  unto  you,  that  ye  love  one  anoth- 
er ;  as  I  have  loved  you,  that  ye  also  love  one  anoth- 
er.' From  these  scriptures  we  learn  that  Jesus  ac- 
knowledged himself  to  be  a  friend  to  his  disciples,  who 
loved  them,  and  was  ready  to  lay  down  his  life  for 
them.  The  strength  of  his  love  to  his  disciples  is  also 
expressed  in  John  xv,  9 :  '  As  the  Father  hath  loved 
me,  so  have  I  loved  you.' 

3.  The  nature  and  manifest  design  of  the  fire  which 
is  never  to  be  quenched,  we  learn,  as  has  been  observ- 
ed in  the  Notes,  by  observing  that  Jesus  says,  in  Mark 
ix,  49,  *  For  every  one  shall  be  salted  with  fire,  and 
every  sacrifice  shall  be  salted  with  salt.'  This  salt, 
which  is  the^re  which  never  shall  be  quenched,  is  the 
same,  no  doubt,  represented,  as  has  been  noticed,  by 
the  salt  of  the  covenant  under  the  law,  according  to 
the  directions  given  in  Lev.  ii,  13.  The  manifest  de- 
sign of  this  fire  is  to  save,  by  its  purifying  qualities, 


NOTES    ON    THE       PARABLES.  43 

the  subject  on  which  it  operates.  Now  if  can  find 
any  natural  connexion  between  the  three  particulars, 
here  brought  to  view,  and  the  future,  eternal,  unmer- 
ciful punishment  of  those  disciples  and  acknowledged 
friends  of  Jesus  Christ,  then  the  common  opinion  of 
this  scripture  stands  on  the  evidence  of  the  text.  But 
the  erroneousness  of  such  an  opinion  is  so  palpable, 
that  it  requires  no  argument  to  make  it  more  so. 

The  objector,  possessing  an  unaccountable  attach- 
ment to  the  opinion  generally  entertained  of  the  text, 
will  say, — Although  these  words  were  spoken  to  the 
disciples  of  Christ,  they  ought  to  be  applied  to  men 
in  general.  To  this  I  agree,  but  not  to  the  exclusion 
of  the  disciples.  There  surely  would  be  no  propriety 
in  saying,  that,  though  Christ  spake  the  words  of  our 
Parable  to  his  disciples,  he  did  not  mean  that  they 
should  take  either  the  direction  or  the  warning  to 
themselves.  In  the  connexion  of  the  text  in  Matthew 
v,  Christ  says  to  his  disciples,  '  Except  your  righteous- 
ness shall  exceed  the  righteousness  of  the  scribes  and 
Pharisees,  ye  shall  in  no  case  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  heaven.'  It  surely  would  not  be  correct  to  say  that 
Christ  did  not  mean  that  his  disciples  should  not  enter 
into  the  kingdon  of  heaven  except  their  righteousness 
should  exceed  that  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees.  The 
Truth  is  plain  enough.  The  disciples  of  Christ,  as 
well  as  every  body  else,  must  have  abetter  righteous- 
ness than  that  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  in  order 
to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven  ;  and  the  disci- 
ples, as  well  as  every  body  else,  were  exposed  to  be 
east  into  that  refining  fire,  which  never  shall  quench- 
ed. Therefore,  if  any  of  the  human  race  ever  were 
exposed  to  endles,  unmerciful  punishment,  as  proved, 
or  intended  by  our  Parable,  the  disciples  most  surely 


44  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

were  thus  exposed.  It  is  then  reasonable  for  us  to  in- 
quire, ivhat  friendship  that  must  be  which  would  ex- 
ercise itself  in  inflicting  endless,  unmerciful  punish- 
ment ?  If  this  be  friendship,  what  is  enmity  ?  If  it  be 
argued  that  the  subject  deserves  this  unmerciful  pun- 
ishment, and  that  it  is  inflicted  by  justice,  though  dir- 
rectly  contrary  to  the  benevolent  principle  of  friend- 
ship, it  is  acknowledging  that  the  friendship  of  Christ  is 
directly  opposed  to  justice.  According  to  the  Script- 
ures, Christ  was  so  great  a  friend  to  all  mankind  as  to 
lay  down  his  life  for  them,  and  he  is  said  tp  be  the 
same  yesterday,  to  day  and  forever.  How  then  can 
he  become  unmerciful  to  those  very  sinners  whom  he 
loves,  and  for  whom  he  died  ?  The  propriety  of  Notes 
on  this  Parable,  and  their  relation  to  the  whole  con- 
nexion, is  easy  to  be  seen  ;  for  any  punishment  which 
is  calculated  to  purge  and  cleanse  mankind  from  sin, 
is  perfectly  consistent  with  the  love  and  friendship 
which  our  Saviour  has  manifested  for  mankind.  Da- 
vid was  afflicted  with  the  pains  and  sorrows  of  hell, 
and  acknowledged  that  it  was  good  for  him  that  he 
was  afflicted.  The  goodness  of  God  to  mankind  is  no 
less  evident  in  the  chastisements  with  which  he  cor- 
rects his  children,  than  in  the  smiles  of  his  providence ; 
for  the  Lord  will  not  cast  off  forever,  but  though  he 
cause  grief,  yet  will  have  compassion  according  to  the 
multitude  of  his  mercies.  For  he  doth  not  afflict  will- 
ingly, nor  grieve  the  children  of  men.' 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  46 


PARABLE  VI. 

*  Enter  ye  in  at  the  strait  gate  ;  for  wide  is  the  gate,  and  broad  is  the  way  that 
leadeth  to  destruction,  and  many  there  be  which  go  in  thereat  :  Because 
strait  is  the  gate,  and  narrow  is  the  way,  which  leadeth  unto  life,  and 
few  there  be  which  find  it.' — Matt,  vii,  13,  14. 

By  the  strait  gate,  we  understand  the  way  of"  life 
communicated  under  the  law,  the  word  strait  having 
the  signification  of  difficult ;  the  word  narrow  is  also 
used  in  describing  the  gate,  or  way  of  life.*  The  way 
of  life,  under  the  law,  in  respect  to  dispensation,  was 
through  those  shadowy  types  made  use  of  under  that 
dispensation,  or  in  the  priesthood  of  the  law  ;  and  the 
way  wras  so  narrow  or  difficulty  that  few,  very  few  were 
enabled  to  look  through  the  figures  of  the  law,  and  be- 
hold Christ :  or  if  possible  to  make  the  idea  more  plain, 
we  say,  Christ  is  the  only  way  of  life,  as  he  says  of 
himself, ,  I  am  the  way,'  &c.  And  although  it  may 
seem  disagreeable  to  a  Christian  who  has  been  taught 
the  unbounded  grace  of  the  Saviour,  and  viewed  him 
as  a  place  of  broad  rivers,  to  tell  him  that  this  same  Je- 
sus was  narrow,  life  difficult  to  be  obtained  by  him,  &c, 
yet,  when  we  consider  that  the  Christian  of  the  present 
day  enjoys  those  things  which  many  prophets  long  de- 
sired but  obtained  not,  and  that  those  who  had  the 

*That  Jesus  had  reference  to  the  two  dispensations  to  the  close  of  the 
Old,  and  the  introduction  of  the  New,  where  he  spake  this  parable,  is  ren- 
dered highly  probable  by  the  connexion  in  which  it  stands  in  Luke  xiii 
which  the  reader  may  consult  at  leisure.  But  as  the  parable  is  introduced  in 
Matt,  vii,  the  strait  gate  is,  to  do  all  tilings  to  others,  whatsoever  we  would 
that  men  should  do  unto  us.  This  is  the  law  and  the  prophets  ;  this  is 
Christianity.  A  contrary  conduct  is  the  broad  road  in  which  the  many  go 
on  to  destruction. 


46  NOTES    ON    THE  PARABLES. 

brightest  ideas  of  the  Saviour,  under  the  law,  saw  him 
in  respect  to  the  present  dispensation,  through  a  glass, 
and  that  as  darkly  as  those  who  now  believe,  view  him, 
in  his  glory,  which  is  to  be  revealed  in  the  ages  to 
come,  it  will  not  seem  unjust  to  represent  the  Saviour, 
under  the  law,  as  a  strait  difficult   and  narrow  way. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  is  just  to  represent  the  way  ot 
death,  which  leadeth  to  destruction,  broad,  in  the  same 
proportion  as  the  way  of  life  is  narrow  ;  observing  a* 
the  same  time,  that  the  representations  are  under  thf 
same  dispensation.  But  what  is  meant  in  the  text 
by  the  way  and  gate,  which  leadeth  to  destruction  . 
Answe.  Christ  the  heavenly  man  is  the  way  of  life, 
it  is  evident  that  tne  earthly  man  is  the  way  to  destruc- 
tion ;  and  though  the  Jews,  generally  speaking,  lookec 
for  salvation  by  the  works  of  the  carnal  or  old  man. 
and  though  that  way  seemed  right  to  them,  the  end 
thereof  was  death  to  the  many  who  sought  salvation  in 
that  way.  And  though  many  in  the  present  day  ma 
be  as  uncircumcised  in  heart  and  ears  as  the  unbeliev 
ing  Jews,  and  may  boast  of  their  hard  earned  right- 
eousness, and  despise  others  for  the  lack  thereof,  and 
all  these  things  seem  right  to  them  ;  and  though  the) 
may  fancy  themselves  alive  without  the  law,  yet  wher 
the  commandments  shall  come  with  divine  authority 
on  their  minds,  the  end  of  all  their  righteousness  will 
be  death.  Happy  is  the  soul  that  can  boast  the  loss 
of  all  these  things,  and  glory  alone  in  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  great  Redeemer. 

ILLUSTRATION. 

The  common  use  of  the  above  passage  has  been  to 
prove  that  the  number,  which  will  finally  obtain  salva- 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES  47 

tion  by  Jesus  Christ,  will  be  few  ;  and  that  tne  number 
which  will  suffer  endless,  unmerciful  punishment  will 
be  many. 

The  number  set  forth  in  the  Scriptures  as  the  happy 
subjects  of  gospel  salvation,  may  be  judged  of  from  the 
promises  made  to  the  fathers,  in  which  it  is  said  that 
all  the  families,  all  the  nations,  and  all  the  kindreds  of 
the  earth  should  be  blessed  in  Christ  the  seed  of  Abra- 
ham.    The  only  method  by  which  the  opposer  of  uni- 
versal salvation  by  Christ,  pretends  to  get  along  with 
the  promises  of  God,  as  stated  above,  is,  by  saying  the 
blessing   promised,   means  the  temporal  blessings  of 
providence,  of  which  all  men  partake  in  this  life.  And 
though  this  be  the  only  way  to  a  void  the  real  gospel 
truth,  yet  it  acknowledges  one  main  point,  by  which 
the  partial  doctrine  is  destroyed.     For  it  allows   that 
the  promises  are  strictly  to  all  men  without  distinction. 
This  being  the  case,  the  whole  is  lost  on  the  part  of 
the  opposer,  by  the  particular  testimony  of  St  Paul  to 
the  Galatians,  in  which  he  decides  the  matter  beyond 
all   dispute.      See   Gal.  iii,  8 :  '  And   the   Scriptures 
foreseeing  that  God  would  justify  the  heathen  through 
faith  preached  before  the  gospel  unto  Abraham,  say- 
ing, In  thee   shall  all  nations  be  blessed.'      By  this 
Scripture  we  see  that  the  promise  is  a  gospel  promise, 
and  that  the  blessing  is  justification  through  faith.     If 
all  the  nations,  all  the  families  and  all  the  kindreds  of 
the  earth  are  finally  blessed  with  justification  through 
faith,  in  Christ  the  seed  of  Abraham,  the  opinion  that 
but  few  of  the  human  race  will  be  saved  by  Christ, 
cannot  possibly  be  true.     It  is  remarkable  that  a  doc- 
trine directly  contrary  to  the  most  plain  and  positive 
declarations  of  Scripture,  should  ever  have  gained  such 
general  consent,  and  become  incorporated  as  an  essen- 


48  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

tial  article  in  the  Christian  faith.  So  extraordinary  do 
I  view  this  particular,  that  I  consider  it  one  oi* 
the  strongest  evidences  of  the  truth  of  Christianity. 
Though  it  may  be  thought  a  digression  from  our  sub- 
ject, I  am  disposed  to  notice,  in  this  place,  two  impor- 
tant evidences  of  the  truth  and  authenticity  of  divine 
revelation,  one  of  which  seems  to  have  been  designed 
for  the  conviction  of  the  Gentiles,  of  the  divinity  of  the 
prophecies  of  old  testament,  and  the  other  for  the  con- 
viction of  the  Jews  of  the  divinity  of  the  new. 

1.  The  first  is  the  very  remarkable  fulfilment  of  the 
prophecies  of  the  old  testament,  relating  t*"  the  rejec- 
tion and  crucifixion  of  the  Messiah,  by  the  Jews.  The 
Jews  were  traditionally  educated  to  believe  in  a  Messiah ; 
their  prophets  frequently  spake  of  him,  and  some  of 
them  pointed  out  the  treatment  which  he  would  meet 
with  from  that  very  people  who  anxiously  expected 
nim.  Such  prophecies,  to  the  common  judgment  of 
mankind,  must  appear  not  a  little  improbable  ;  and  it  is 
very  evident  that  the  rulers  among  the  Jews  were  ig- 
norant of  the  meaning  of  those  prophecies  notwith- 
standing they  professed  to  believe  in  them.  The  Gen- 
tiles might,  with  seeming  plausibility,  discredit  the 
prophecies  of  a  Messiah,  they  being  so  improbable.  For 
who  would  expect  to  see  those  Jews,  who  were  anx- 
iously expecting  their  Messiah,  fulfil  that  part  of  the 
prophecies  which  related  to  their  rejecting  him,  and 
even  puttting  him  to  death  ?  But  all  these  things  were 
actually  done  by  the  rulers,  doctors,  scribes  and  most 
religious  people  of  the  Jews.  Here  then  the  unex- 
pected event  took  place,  and  the  most  improbable  part 
of  the  prophecies  was  accomplished  in  a  most  signal 
manner.  Of  this  circumstance  the  apostle  of  the 
Gentiles  did  not  fail  to  make  the  best  possible  use  in 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  49 

that  memorable  sermon  which  he  delivered  at  Antioch, 
in  a  synagogue  of  the  Jews,  a  part  of  which  is  record- 
ed in  Acts  xiii.  Paul,  addressing  the  Jews,  gives  them 
a  general  sketch  of  God's  dealings  with  their  nation 
and  of  his  fulfilling  his  promise  in  raising  up  Jesus,  of 
the  seed  of  David  ;  and  coming  in  order  to  Christ, 
says,  <  Men  and  brethren,  children  of  the  stock  of  Abra- 
ham, and  whosoever  among  you  feareth  God,  to  you 
is  the  word  of  this  salvation  sent.  For  they  that  dwell 
at  Jerusalem,  and  their  rulers,  because  they  knew  him 
not,  nor  yet  the  voices  of  the  prophets  which  are  read 
every  sabbath-day,  they  have  fulfilled  them  in  con- 
demning him.  Be  it  known  unto  you,  therefore,  men 
and  brethren,  that  through  this  man  is  preached  unto 
you  the  forgiveness  of  sins  ;  and  by  him  all  that  believe 
are  justified  from  all  things,  from  which  ye  could  not 
be  justified  by  the  law  of  Moses.  Beware,  therefore, 
lest  that  come  upon  you  which  is  spoken  of  in  the 
prophets :  Behold,  ye  despisers,  and  wonder,  and  per- 
ish ;  for  I  work  a  work  in  your  days,  a  work  which  ye 
shall  in  no  wise  believe,  though  a  man  declare  it  unto 
you.'  The  Gentiles,  on  this  occasion,  were  struck  with 
conviction  in  their  minds,  of  the  truth  of  those  prophe- 
cies which  the  Jews  had  so  remarkably  fulfilled,  and 
desired  to  hear  the  word  on  the  next  sabbath.  The 
report  of  Paul'  s  preaching  was  generally  spread  through 
the  city,  and  almost  the  whole  city  assembled  to  bear. 
At  this  the  envy  of  the  Jews  was  moved,  and  they 
spake  against  those  things  which  were  spoken  by  Paul, 
contradicting  and  blaspheming.  Then  Paul  and  his 
companion  boldly  gave  up  the  Jews  in  open  assembly, 
to  the  blindness  of  their  eyes  and  to  the  hardness  of 
their  hearts,  and  turned  to  the  Gentiles  with  these 
words  :  '  For  so  hath  the  Lord  commanded  us,  saying, 
5 


50  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

I  have  set  thee  to  be  a  light  of  the  Gentiles,  that  thou 
shouldest  be  for  salvation  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth.'  At 
this  the  Gentiles  believed,  and  glorified  the  word  of 
the  Lord. 

The  Gentiles,  in  this  case,  have  as  good  a  proof  of 
the  truth  of  the  prophecies  as  the  nature  of  the  case 
could  admit ;  and  it  was  sufficient,  by  the  blessing  of 
God,  to  open  their  eyes  to  the  light  of  divine  revelation, 
and  to  the  scheme  of  salvation  by  Jesus  Christ.  The 
reader  will  remember  that  they  were  first  called  Chris- 
tians at  Antioch. 

How  wonderful  are  the  ways  of  God  !  He  was  pleas- 
ed to  hide  the  things  of  the  gospel  from  the  wise  and 
prudent  among  his  covenant  people,  that  their  blind- 
ness and  hardness  of  heart  might  be  a  means  of  con- 
verting the  Gentiles,  as  that  blindness  and  hardness 
of  heart  was  necessary  unto  the  fulfilment  of  the  pro- 
phecies. 

2.  The  prophecies  of  the  new  testament  are  as  re- 
markable as  those  of  the  old.     They  appear  to  the 
common  reason  of  mankind  to  wear  the  appearance  of 
improbability.     They  speak  of  a  falling  away  from  the 
true  doctrine  and  worship  of  Christ,  and  of  the  em- 
bracing of  the  doctrines  of  devils,  and  the  worship- 
ping of  a  beast.  And  these  things  are  as  plainly  pointed 
out  in  the  new  testament  as  the  crucifixion  of  Christ 
is  in  the  old.     The  fulfilment  of  these  new  testament 
prophecies,  by  professing  Christians,  is  as  remarkable, 
and  as  convincing  of  the  divinity  of  these  prophecies, 
as  the  fulfilment  of  the  Jewish  prophecies,  by  those 
who  professed  to  understand  and  believe  them,  was  of 
their  divinity.     And  it  seems  to  be  evident  from  the 
Scriptures,  that  God  will  make  as  glorious  a  use  of  the 
apostacy  of  the  Christian  church,  as  he  did  of  the 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  51 

apostacy  of  the  Jewish  church.  The  apostacy  of  the 
Jews  was  a  means  of  converting  the  Gentiles,  and  the 
apostacy  of  the  Christian  church,  and  their  recovery 
from  their  apostacy,  will  completely  fulfil  all  the  pro- 
phecies of  the  new  testament,  so  far  as  is  necessary  to 
convince  the  Jews  of  the  divinity  of  the  new  testa- 
ment. 

Thus  we  see  that  God  communicated  mercy  to  the 
Gentiles  through  the  blindness  and  unbelief  of  the 
Jews  :  and  also,  we  have  reason  to  hope  that  through 
the  fall  and  recovery  of  the  Christian  church,  mercy 
will  be  communicated  to  the  Jews  ;  so  that  finally  of 
the  twain,  our  blessed  Lord  will  make  one  new  man 
in  everlasting  and  eternal  peace. 

What  I  have  endeavored  to  suggest  to  the  reader's 
understanding,  in  this  digression  was  very  clearly  la- 
bored and  shown  to  the  church  at  Rome  by  St  Paul 
in  his  epistle  to  that  church,  see  chap,  xi,  30,  31,  32  : 
1  For  as  ye  in  times  past  have  not  believed  God,  yet 
have  now  obtained  mercy  through  their  unbelief,  even 
so  have  these  also  now  not  believed,  that  through  your 
mercy  they  also  may  obtain  mercy.  For  God  hath  con- 
cluded them  in  all  unbelief,  that  he  might  have  mercy 
upon  all.'  The  same  thing  is  expressed  in  a  num- 
ber of  ways  in  this  chapter.  Consistently  with  the 
foregoing,  I  see,  to  my  satisfaction,  why  the  doctrine 
of  future,  eternal,  unmerciful  punishment  has  been 
generally  credited  in  the  Christian  church.  The  apos- 
tacy would  not  have  been  complete  without  it.  This 
doctrine  is  exactly  the  reverse  of  the  gospel  of  salva- 
tion ;  and  the  character  of  a  devouring  beast,  is  exact- 
ly the  reverse  of  the  character  of  the  Lamb  of  God 
who  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world. 

I  may  now  proceed  further  to  show  that  the  notion, 


52  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

that  the  number,  who  will  finally  obtain  salvation  by 
Christ,  will  be  few,  is  directly  contrary  to  the  testimo- 
ny of  Scripture.  See  Isaiah  liii,  11:'  He  shall  see  of 
the  travail  of  his  soul,  and  shall  be  satisfied  :  by  his 
knowledge  shall  my  righteous  servant  justify  many  ; 
for  he  shall  bear  their  iniquities.'  If  the  few  mention- 
ed in  St  Matthew  be  all  who  finally  obtain  salvation 
by  Christ,  what  will  become  of  the  many  spoken  of  in 
Isaiah,  who  are  justified  by  him  who  bore  their  iniqui- 
ties ?  See  Rev.  vii,  9,  10  :  '  After  this  I  beheld,  and, 
lo,  a  great  multitude,  which  no  man  could  number,  of 
all  nations,  and  kindreds,  and  people,  and  tongues, 
stood  before  the  throne  and  before  the  Lamb,  clothed 
with  white  robes,  and  palms  in  their  hands ;  and  cried 
with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  Salvation  to  our  God,  which 
sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb.'  If  the  few 
mentioned  in  St  Matthew  be  all  who  ever  obtain  sal- 
vation by  Christ,  what  will  become  of  the  great  mul- 
titude, which  no  man  can  number,  of  all  nations,  and 
all  kindreds,and  all  people,  and  all  tongues,  who  are  per- 
mitted to  stand  before  the  throne  and  before  the  Lamb, 
and  to  be  clothed  with  white  robes,  and  palms,  the  ensign 
of  victory,  in  their  hands  ;  who  cry  with  a  loud  voice, 
saying, '  Salvation  to  our  God,  which  sitteth  upon  the 
throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb  ?'  Should  it  please  my  hea- 
venly Father,  to  grant  one  so  unworthy  as  myself,  the 
humblest  station  in  that  innumerable  company,  I  hope  I 
should  not  be  disposed  to  envy  any  situation  to  which 
others  might  aspire. 

The  language  of  the  above  text  is  perfectly  adapted 
to  show,  that  the  promise  made  to  the  fathers,  will  fi- 
nally be  accomplished  in  its  most  extensive  and  glori- 
ous sense. 

Should  any  suppose  that  it  is  inconsistent  with  truth 


NOTES    UN    THE    PARABLES.  53 

to  hope  for  the  salvation  of  any  who  enter  in  at  the 
wide  gate  which  leadeth  to  destruction,  let  them  re- 
member the  testimony  of  the  Lord  by  the  prophet  Ho- 
sea.  See  chap,  xiii,  9  :  '  O  Israel  thou  hast  destroy- 
ed thyself;  but  in  me  is  thine  help.' 


PARABLE  VII. 

Therefore,  whosoever  heareth  these  sayings  of  mine,  and  doeth  them  I  will 
liken  him  unto  a  wise  man  which  built  his  house  upon  a  rock.' — Matt, 
vii,  24. 


The  words  of  Christ,  to  which  he  here  undoubtedly 
refers,  immediately  precede  those  which  I  have  written, 
in  which  he  observes,  that  many  might  say  unto  him, 
Lord,  Lord,  who  should  not  be  admitted  into  the  king- 
dom of  heaven ;  but  they  alone  should  be  admitted  who 
did  the  will  of  his  Father  who  is  in  heaven.     But  just 
before,  he  was  speaking  of  the  good  and  bad  trees  and 
of  their  respective  fruits,  arguing  the  impossibility  of  a 
good  tree  bringing  forth  evil  fruit,  or  a  corrupt  tree 
bringing  forth  good  fruit :  and  further  he  says,  every 
tree  that  bringeth  not  forth  good  fruit  is  hewn  down 
and  cast   into  the  fire;  the  meaning  of  which  I  have 
elsewhere  given.     But  we  may  here  learn,  that  those 
who  partake   of  me  corrupt  tree  alone,  and  are  still  la- 
boring to  establish  a  righteousness  of  their  own,  being 
ignorant   of  the  righteousness   of  God,  may  profess 
Christianity,  and  say  to  Christ,   Lord,  Lord,  &c,  but 
those  alone  who  do  the  will   of  the  Father,  can    enter 
into  the  kingdom   of  heaven  :  therefore,   those   who 
heard  the  sayings  of  Christ  and  did  them,  were  likened 
unto  a  wise  man,  who  built  his  house  upon  a  rock.     By 
'  5* 


54  NOTES  ON    THE    PARABLES. 

house,  I  understand  the  hope  or  confidence  in  which 
the  mind  rests.  By  rock,  I  understand  Christ ;  which 
application  is  too  evident  to  need  proof.  And  what 
can  compare  with  that  wisdom  which  teaches  us  to  put 
our  trust  in  Christ,  and  build  all  our  hopes  of  salvation 
on  that  rock  of  ages,  that  chief  corner  stone  which 
foolish  builders  refuse  ?  He,  and  he  only  is  truly  wise 
who  doth  this  ;  all  other  wisdom  is  from  the  earth, 
from  beneath,  &c.  But  the  wisdom  of  which  I  speak, 
to  what  shall  I  compare  it  ?  'It  cannot  be  gotten  for 
gold,  neither  shall  silver  be  weighed  for  the  price  there- 
of. It  cannot  be  valued  with  the  gold  of  Ophir,  with 
the  precious  onyx  or  the  sapphire.  The  gold  and 
crystal  cannot  equal  it :  and  the  exchange  of  it  shall 
not  be  for  jewels  of  fine  gold.  No  mention  shall  be 
made  of  coral,  or  of  pearls  :  for  the  price  of  wisdom  is 
above  rubies.  The  topaz  of  Ethiopia  shall  not  equal 
it,  neither  shall  it  be  valued  with  pure  gold.'  Job 
xxviii,  15,  16,  17,  18,  19. 

And  every  one  that  heareth  these  sayings  of  mine, 
and  doeth  ikem  not,  shall  be  likened  unto  a  foolish  man 
which  built  his  house  upon  the  sand.''     Verse  26. 

As  was  said  in  the  other  instance,  the  house  is  the 
hope  or  confidence  in  which  the  mind  rests.  .  By  the 
sand,  I  understand  that  righteousness  of  which  I  spake 
in  the  description  of  the  corrupt  tree.  And  what  can 
equal  the  folly  of  man,  who  is  vile,  placing  his  hopes  of 
salvation  in  works  of  his  own ! 

In  verses  25,  27,  it  is  said,  The  rains  descended, 
the  floods  came,  and  the  winds  blew,  and  beat  upon 
these  houses,  and  that  which  was  built  upon  a  rock  fell 
not,  because  it  was  founded  upon  a  rock ;  but  that  which 
was  built  upon  the  sand,  fell,  and  great  was  the  fall  of 
it. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  55 

I  shall  refer  the  reader  to  Isaiah  xxviii,  beginning  at 
the  16th,  to  the  close  of  the  22d  inclusive.  Here  ob- 
serve, a  stone  is  laid  in  Zion  for  a  foundation  ;  this  is 
the  rock  or  stone  spoken  of  in  our  text ;  and  it  is  said 
to  be  a  tried  stone,  a  precious  corner  stone,  and  a  sure 
foundation  ;  and  that  he  who  believeth  should  not 
make  haste.  Then  there  is  an  account  given,  of  judg- 
ment being  laid  to  the  line,  and  righteousness  to  the 
plummet.  This  line  and  plummet  were  used  in  laying 
this  foundation  in  Zion,  and  this  chief  corner  stone 
was  raised  by  them.  Something  of  the  same  was  com- 
municated to  Amos ;  see  Amos  vii,  7  :  '■  Thus  he  show- 
ed me,  and  behold  the  Lord  stood  upon  a  wall  made 
by  a  plumb-line,  with  a  plumb-line  in  his  hand  ;'  which 
plumb-line  the  Lord  told  Amos  he  would  set  in  the 
midst  of  his  people  Israel,  and  that  he  would  pass  by 
no  more.  Christ  is  here  meant  by  a  chief  corner  stone, 
the  spirit  of  the  law,  by  a  plumb-line,  and  the  whole 
house  of  Israel  brought  to  perfect  rectitude,  is  repre- 
sented by  a  wall  built  by  a  plumb-line ;  and  this  is 
the  house  which  will  endure  when  the  storms  shall  come 
which  is  described  in  Isaiah  xxviii,  17,  &c.  \  And  the 
hail  shall  sweep  away  the  refuge  of  lies,  and  the  waters 
shall  overflow  the  hiding-place.'  The  refuge  of  lies  is  the 
same  as  the  house  built  on  the  sand.  Here  we  are 
taught,  that  nothing  but  that  which  is  raised  by  plumb 
and  line  can  endure  when  the  overflowing  scourge  shall 
come  ;  nothing  can  abide  but  the  gold,  the  silver,  and 
the  precious  stones  built  on  the  sure  foundation.  In 
verse  20,  self-righteousness  is  described  thus, '  For  the 
bed  is  shorter  than  that  a  man  can  stretch  himself  on 
it ;  and  the  covering  narrower  than  that  he  can  wrap 
himself  in  it.'  And  in  verse  22,  it  is  said  that  there  is 
'  a  consumption  determined  upon  the  whole  earth.' 


56  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

When  tne  whole  earthly  nature,  with  all  its  increase, 
shall  be  destroyed,  then  shall  the  hope  of  the  hypo- 
crite perish,  the  house  of  the  self-righteous  shall  fall, 
and  great  shall  be  the  fall  thereof.  Let  the  question  be 
asked,  among  the  various  denominations  who  profess 
Christianity,  and  call  Jesus  Lord,  how  many  rare  ones 
can  be  found  who  hear  the  words  of  Christ  and  do 
them  ?  Who  have  obtained  that  wisdom  whereby  they 
are  taught  to  depend  on  nothing  but  Christ  and  him 
crucified?  We  ought  to  make  but  one  denomina- 
tion of  real  Christians  ;  all  who  hear  the  words  of  Christ 
and  do  them,  are  of  that  class ;  and  all  those,  who,  trust- 
ing in  themselves,  vainly  believe  that  they  are  rich  and 
increased  in  goods,  must  find  their  gain  to  be  their  loss. 
And  may  God  grant  that  at  the  last  they  may  find  their 
loss  to  be  their  gain. 


ILLUSTRATION. 

The  common  opinion  of  the  falling  of  the  house 
which  is  built  upon  the  sand,  is,  that  it  signifies  the 
failing  of  a  false  hope,  and  the  greatness  of  the  fall  is 
significant  of  the  endless  despair  of  the  builder.  Against 
this  opinion,  I  shall  endeavor  to  introduce  some  queries, 
by  way  of  investigation.  I  believe  it  will  be  agreed 
by  all,  that  the  falling  of  the  house  built  on  the  sand, 
is  the  same  as  the  destruction  of  the  hope  of  the  wick- 
ed, which  is  as  the  giving  up  of  the  ghost.  What  I 
wish  to  direct  the  reader's  attention  to,  is  the  question, 
whether  the  failing  of  a  false  hope  necessarily  implies 
that  the  disappointed  can  never  receive,  from  anoth- 
er quarter,  that  for  which  he  hoped  on  false  grounds, 
or  even  blessings  infinitely  better. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  57 

Let  us  take  St  Paul  for  an  instance.  His  hopes 
of  salvation,  before  he  was  converted,  were  all  built 
upon  the  sandy  foundation  of  legal  righteousness.  Did 
this  hope  abide?  No,  surely  it  did  not.  It  was 
utterly  demolished,  and  became  of  no  value  even  in  his 
own  judgment.  But  did  he  not  obtain,  from  another 
quarter,  that  which  was  infinitely  more  valuable  than 
he  had  before  conceived  of?  See  his  own  answer  to 
this  query :  Phil,  iii,  4,&c.  '  Though  I  might  also 
have  confidence  in  the  flesh.  If  any  other  man  think- 
eth  that  he  hath  whereof  he  might  trust  in  the  flesh,  I 
more  ;  circumcised  the  eighth  day,  of  the  stock  of  Isra- 
el, of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  an  Hebrew  of  the  He- 
brews, as  touching  the  law,  a  Pharisee  ;  concerning 
zeal,  persecuting  the  church  ;  touching  the  righteous- 
ness which  is  in  the  law,  blameless.  But  what  things 
were  gain  to  me  those  I  counted  loss  for  Christ.  Yea, 
doubtless,  and  I  count  all  things  but  loss  for  the  ex- 
cellency of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  my  Lord ; 
for  whom  I  have  suffered  the  loss  of  all  things,  and 
do  count  them  but  dung,  that  I  may  win  Christ,  and 
be  found  in  him,  not  having  mine  own  righteousness, 
which  is  of  the  law,  but  that  which  is  through  the  faith 
of  Christ,  the  righteousness  which  is  of  God  by  faith.' 
In  the  account,  which  the  experienced  apostle  gives 
us,  we  learn  that  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  suffer  the 
loss  of  his  legal  hope  in  order  to  enjoy  that  hope  which 
was  infinitely  more  valuable.  Let  us  in  the  next  place 
ask,  whether  we  have  sufficient  evidence  to  prove, 
beyond  a  reasonable  doubt,  that  the  blessed  Saviour 
of  sinners  will  be  less  kind  to  any  body  else,  than  he 
was  to  that  persecuting  Saul. 

The  reader  will  undoubtedly  notice,  that  in  every 
form  in  which  the  common  doctrine  appears,  it  wears 
the  character  of  unmercifulness  ;  which  character  is 


58  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

directly  contrary  to  the  character  of  the  merciful  Jesus. 
When  the  prodigal  son  left  his  father's  house,  his 
hopes  of  pleasure  intoxicated  his  youthful  mind,  his 
heart  palpitated  for  gratifications  which  he  did  not  so 
much  as  dream  would  either  ruin  his  fortune  or  be- 
come insipid.  But  experience  taught  him  late  what 
early  admonition  could  not  impress  ;  and  he  found  him- 
self in  a  state  of  wretched  dependence,  without  power 
or  means  to  retrieve  a  fortune  foolishly  spent.  In  this 
distressed  condition,  compelled  by  hunger,  he  frames 
a  resolution  in  which  there  was  great  humility  indeed, 
but  by  no  means  a  just  estimation  of  the  mode  in 
which  his  wants  were  finally  to  be  supplied.  He  hoped 
to  be  blessed  with  bread  in  his  father's  house,  but  ex- 
pected to  have  it  for  his  just  hire.  The  ground  of  his 
hope  was  by  no  means  supported  by  the  father ;  but 
the  blessing  was  granted  in  rich  abundance,  from  the 
fatherly  love  of  which  he  had  been  ignorant. 

Such  are  the  instances  which  the  Scriptures  give  of 
the  false  hopes  of  God's  alienated  children,  and  of  his 
divine  mercy  as  a  never  failing  security  after  all  crea- 
ture means  have  failed.  The  whole  of  the  107th  Psalm 
is  occupied  with  those  instances,  with  a  sentence  of 
which  I  close  this  subject.  l  Such  as  sit  in  darkness, 
and  in  the  shadow  of  death,  being  bound  in  affliction 
and  iron,  because  they  rebelled  against  the  words  of 
God,  and  contemned  the  counsel  of  the  Most  High  ; 
therefore,  he  brought  down  their  heart  with  labor  ;  they 
fell  down,  and  there  was  none  to  help.  Then  they 
cried  unto  the  Lord  in  their  trouble,  and  he  saved  them 
out  of  their  distresses.  He  brought  them  out  of  dark- 
ness and  the  shadow  of  death,  and  brake  their  bands 
in  sunder.  Oh,  that  men  would  praise  the  Lord  for 
his  goodness,  and  for  his  wonderful  works  to  the  chil- 
dren of  men.' 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  59 


PARABLE  VIII. 

1  And  Jesus   said  unto  them,  Can  the  children  of  the  bride-chamber  mourn 
as  long  as  the  bridegroom  is  with  them'?  but  the  days  will  come  when 
the  bridegroom  shall  be  taken  from  them,  and  then    shall   they  fast.' — 
Matt,  ix,  15. 

The  Saviour  spake  these  words  to  the  disciples  of 
John,  who  asked  him  the  reason  why  his  disciples  did 
not  fast,  as  they  and  the  Pharisees  fasted  oft. 

In  this  part  of  the  answer  we  find  matter  for  the  fol- 
lowing observations  : 

1 .  By  bridegroom,  I  understand  Christ  himself. 

2.  By  bride,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  which  is  call- 
ed the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife 

3.  By  bride-chamber  is  intended  that  pavilion  of 
«afety  provided  by  grace. 

4.  The  children  of  the  bride-chamber  are  those, 
who,  in  their  understanding,  have  travelled  on  beyond 
the  righteousness  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  have 
even  left  John,  the  fore-runner  of  Jesus,  and  have,  in 
reality,  found  him  of  whom  Moses  and  the  prophets 
did  write. 

5.  The  dear  Mediator,  the  devoted  sin-offering, 
points  forward  to  that  awful  period  when  he  should  be 
taken  from  all  the  living,  die  the  death  of  deaths  for 
man  ;  when  a  gloom  like  the  shades  of  night  should  be 
distended  over  all  the  land  ;  when  the  most  valiant  of 
the  bride-chamber  should  feel  his  courage  give  way, 
and  fall  before  the  dark  powers  of  temptation  ;  when 
the  powers  of  darkness  should  seem  to  riot  in  sport 
of  the  Son  of  God,  mocking  the  agonies  of  a  sinless 


60  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

consecrated  soul  made  an  offering  for  sin  !  This  was  a 
time  for  the  disciples  of  Jesus  to  fast  indeed. 


ILLUSTRATION. 

In  Isaiah  lxi,  10,  the  Saviour  is  represented  as  being 
clothed  with  the  garments  of  salvation,  and  covered 
with  the  robe  of  righteousness,  as  a  bridegroom  deck- 
eth  himself  with  ornaments.  In  chapter  lxii,  5,  he  is 
represented  as  rejoicing  over  his  bride.  St  John  iii, 
29 :  '  He  that  hath  the  bride  is  the  bridegroom  ;  but 
the  friend  of  the  bridegroom  which  standeth  and  hear- 
eth  him,  rejoiceth  greatly  because  of  the  bridegroom's 
voice.' 

The  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife,  or  the  New  Jerusalem, 
is  the   same   as   the   covenant   of  gospel   mercy,   as 
may  be  seen  from  the  following  scriptures.     Gal.  iv, 
22,  &c.  '  For  it  is  written  that  Abraham  had  two  sons ; 
the  one  by  a  bond-maid,  the  other  by  a  free  woman. 
But  he  who  was  of  the  bond  woman  was  born  after 
the  flesh  ;  but  he  of  the  free  woman  was  by  promise. 
Which  things  are  an  allegory ;  for  these  are  the  two 
covenants  ;  the  one  from  mount  Sinai,  which  gender- 
eth  to  bondage,   which   is  Agar.      For  this  Agar  is 
mount  Sinai  in  Arabia,  and  answereth  to  Jerusalem 
which  now  is,  and  is  in  bondage  with  her  children. 
But  Jerusalem  which  is  above,  is  free,  which  is  the 
mother  of  us  all.     For  it  is  written,  Rejoice,  thou  bar- 
ren that  bearest  not,  break  forth  and  cry  thou  that  tra- 
vailest  not ;  for  the  desolate  hath  many  more  children 
than  she  which  hath  an  husband.'  The  apostle  here  calls 
Sarah  one  of  the  covenants  which  he  calls  Jerusalem 
which  is  above,  who  is  both  free  and  the  mother  of  us  all. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  61 

His  reference  to  the  words  of  Isaiah  in  chap,  liv,  1, 
&c,  very  clearly  corrects  the  opinion  that  the  prophet 
spake  to  the  Gentile  church  of  believers,  when  he 
said,'  Sing,  O  barren,'  &c,  for  it  is  evident  the  apostle 
appropriates  this  address  to  the  covenant  represented 
by  Sarah.  And  indeed  the  prophet  himself  corrects 
the  common  opinion  ;  for  he  says  to  this  barren,  des- 
solate  one, l  Enlarge  the  place  of  thy  tent,  and  let 
them  stretch  forth  the  curtains  of  their  habitations  : 
spare  not,  lengthen  thy  cords  and  strengthen  thy  stakes, 
for  thou  shalt  break  forth  on  the  right  hand  and  on  the 
left ;  and  thy  seed  shall  inherit  the  Gentiles.'  If  the 
prophet  were  addressing  the  Gentiles,  he  would  not 
have  told  the  Gentile  church  that  her  seed  should  in- 
herit the  Gentiles.  But  if  he  were  addressing  the  gos- 
pel covenant  in  the  character  of  one  who  was  deso- 
late and  forsaken,  he  might  with  propriety  say  that  her 
seed,  or  son,  who  is  Christ,  should  inherit  the  Gentiles ; 
which  is  consistent  with  the  scripture  which  saith, 
'  Ask  of  me  and  I  shall  give  thee  the  heathen  for  thine 
inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for 
thy  possession.' 


PARABLE  IX. 

No  man  putteth  a  piece  of  new  cloth  unto  an  old  garment;  for  that  which 
is  put  in  to  fill  it  up  taketh  from  the  garment,  and  the  rent  is  made 
worse.'— Matt,  ix,  16, 


Christ  continues  his  answer  to  the  disciples  of  John ; 
and  in  this  part  of  his  answer  we  find  matter  for  the 
following  notes. 
6 


62  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

1.  That  the  law,  or  legal  righteousness,  which  they 
were  endeavoring  to  acquire,  was  a  garment  extremely 
incomplete,  he  represented  by  an  old  garment,  worn  to 
pieces  and  in  need  of  mending. 

2.  That  the  divine  righteousness,  whereby  he 
should  fulfil  the  law,  in  which  righteousness  alone 
man  could  be  justified,  stood  in  comparison  to  the 
other,  as  new  cloth  to  an  old  garment. 

3.  That  as  a  piece  of  new  cloth  put  into  an  old 
garment  would  take  from  the  garment,  whereby  the 
rent  would  be  made  worse ;  so  those  who  should  use 
the  righteousness  of  the  Lord  our  righteousness,  only  to 
patch  their  own,  mixing  a  little  of  the  righteousness  of 
Christ  with  a  great  deal  of  fasting,  humility,  and  right- 
eousness of  their  own,  would  be  in  a  worse  situation 
than  when  standing  simply  in  the  law  character :  to 
which  circumstance  I  shall  elsewhere  allude. 


ILLUSTRATION. 

We  have  already  seen  that  St.  Paul  was  under  the 
necessity  of  giving  up  all  his  hope  and  dependence  for 
justification  by  the  works  of  the  law;  the  reason  of 
which  we  may  consider  as  an  illustration,  in  part,  of 
the  foregoing  subject. 

1.  The  law  could  not  reasonably  be  expected  to 
answer  a  purpose  for  which  it  was  not  given  ;  and  it  is 
evident,  that  it  was  not  given  for  the  purpose  of  giv- 
ing life,  or  that  mankind  should  obtain  justification  by 
it.  See  Gal.  iii,  21 :  'Is  the  law  then  against  the 
promises  of  God  ?  God  forbid :  for  if  there  had  been 
a  law  given,  which  could  have  given  life,  verily  right- 
xmsness  should  have  been  by  the  law.'     Rom.  iii,  20: 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  63 

'  Therefore  by  the  deeds  of  the  law  there  shall  no 
flesh  be  justified  in  his  sight :  for  by  the  law  is  the 
knowledge  of  sin.' 

2.  If  the  ministration  of  the  law  had  been  justifica- 
tion and  life,  it  must  have  taken  the  ground  of  the 
gospel  ministration,  and  rendered  the  cross  vain.  See 
Gal.  ii,  21 : '  do  not  frustrate  the  grace  of  God,  for 
if  righteousness  came  by  the  law,  then  Christ  is  dead 
in  vain.' Gal.  iii,  IS:  'For  if  the  inheritance  be  of 
the  law,  it  is  no  more  of  promise ;  but  God  gave  it  to 
Abraham  by  promise.' 

3.  As  the  law  entered  because  of  transgression,  and 
that  the  offence  might  abound,  it  worked  wrath,  and 
was  a  ministration  of  death.  Gal.  iii,  19.  ■  Wherefore 
then  serveth  the  law  ?  it  was  added  because  of  trans- 
gression, till  the  seed  should  come  to  whom  the  prom- 
ise was  made.'  Rom.  iv,  14,  15:  'For  if  they  which  are 
of  the  law  be  heirs,  faith  is  made  void,  and  the  prom- 
ise made  of  none  effect.  Because  the  law  worketh 
wrath ;  for  where  no  law  is,  there  is  no  transgression.' 
2  Cor.  iii,  7,  8  :  '  But  if  the  ministration  of  death,  writ- 
ten and  engraven  in  stones,  was  glorious,  so  that  the 
children  of  Israel  could  not  steadfastly  behold  the  face 
of  Moses  for  the  glory  of  his  countenance  ;  which  glory 
was  to  be  done  away ;  how  shall  not  the  ministration 
of  the  spirit  be  rather  glorious  ? 

4.  From  the  preceding  considerations,  it  is  reasonable 
that  we  draw  the  following  conclusion.  If  the  law  was 
a  ministration  of  death,  and  could  not  give  life,  then 
surely  it  does  not  come  within  its  province  to  deprive 
us  of  a  life  which  it  had  no  power  to  give.  Hence 
the  apostle's  argument.  Gal.  iii,  17:  'And,  this  I  say 
that  the  covenant  that  was  confirmed  before  of  God  in 
Christ,  the  law,  which  was  four  hundred  and  thirty 


64  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

years  after,  cannot  disannul,  that  it  should  make  the 
promise  of  none  effect.' 

The  righteousness  of  faith  with  which  the  ransomed 
church  of  Christ  is  clothed  and  justified,  is  represented 

by  FINE    LINEN    CLEAN    AND    WHITE  J    by  WHITE  ROBES 

clothing  of  wrought  gold,  a  raiment  of  needle  work. 
See  Rev.  xix,  8  :  '  And  to  her  it  was  granted  that  she 
should  be  arrayed  in  fine  linen,  clean  and  white  ;  for 
the  fine  linen  is  the  righteousness  of  saints.'  iii,  5  :  ■  He 
that  overcometh,  the  same  shall  be  clothed  in  white 
raiment.  Psalm  xlv,  13,  14  :  '  The,  king's  daughter  is 
all  glorious  within  ;  her  clothing  is  of  wrought  gold. 
She  shall  be  brought  unto  the  king  in  raiment  of  nee- 
dle work.'  This  righteousness  of  God  is  the  free  gift 
of  his  grace,  and  is  manifested  for  the  justification  of 
the  sinner  unto  life.  See  Rom.  iii,  21,  22,  &c.  :  '  But 
now  the  righteousness  of  God  without  the  law  is  man- 
ifested, being  witnessed  by  the  law  and  the  prophets  ; 
even  the  righteousness  of  God,  which  is  by  faith  of 
Jesus  Christ  unto  all,  and  upon  all  them  that  believe  ; 
for  there  is  no  difference :  for  all  have  sinned,  and 
come  short  of  the  glory  of  God  ;  being  justified  freely 
by  his  grace,'  &c. 

'  Where  is  boasting,  then  ?  It  is  excluded.     By  what 
law  ?  Of  works  ?  No,  but  by  the  law  of  faith.' 


PARABLE   X. 

'  Neither  do  men  put  new  wine  into  old  bottles  :  else  the  bottles  break,  and 
the  wine  runeth  out,  and  the  bottles  perish  :  but  they  put  new  wine  into 
new  bottles,  and  both  are  preserved.'    Matt.  ix.  17. 

With  these  words  did  Jesus  close  his  answer  to  the 
disciples  of  John.  On  this  part  of  his  answer  we  find 
matter  for  the  following  notes  ; 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  65 

1.  That  the  disciples  of  John  and  the  Pharisees 
standing  in  the  law,  or  legal  righteousness,  not  being 
made  new  by  faith  in  Christ,  are  represented  by  old 
bottles. 

2.  That,  standing  in  that  character,  they  were  no  more 
fit  to  receive  the  spirit  of  the  gospel,  than  old  bottles 
were  to  receive  new  wine. 

3.  That,  by  becoming  new  creatures  by  the  all  ren- 
ovating power  of  him  who  saith,  Behold,  I  make  all 
things  new,  they  might  be  prepared  meet  vessels  to  re- 
ceive the  wine  of  Christ's  kingdom,  even  the  spirit  of 
divine  animation,  which  cheereth  the  heart  of  God  and 
man. 


ILLUSTRATION. 

The  doctrine  and  necessity  of  the  new  birth  is  ren- 
dered plain  and  evident  by  the  following  scriptures.  St 
john  hi,  3  :  '  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  him,  Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  except  a  man  be  born  again, 
he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God.'  Verse  5, '  Jesus 
answered,  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  except  a  man 
be  born  of  water,  and  of  the  Spirit,  he  cannot  enter 
into  the  kingdom  of  God.'  That  this  new  birth  is  a 
work  not  of  the  will  nor  power  of  the  sinner,  but  of 
the  spirit  of  God,  is  not  only  seen  by  the  above  quo- 
tation, but  also  fully  proved  by  the  following.  St  John 
i,  13:  c  Which  were  born,  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the 
will  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of  God.' 
Faith,  which  is  the  medium  through  which  this  grace 
is  communicated  and  wrought  in  the  soul,  is  also  the 
gift  and  work  of  God.  Eph.  ii,  8,  9  :  '  For  by  grace 
are  ye  saved  through  faith,  and  that  not  of  yourselves  : 
6* 


66  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

it  is  the  gift  of  God  :  not  of  works,  lest  any  man 
should  boast.'  2  Thes.  i,  11:  'Wherefore  also  we 
pray  always  for  you,  that  our  God  would  count  you 
worthy  of  his  calling,  and  fulfill  all  the  good  pleasure 
of  his  goodness,  and  the  work  of  faith  with  power.' 
The  necessity  of  the  new  birth  is  acknowledge  by  Chris- 
tian professors  in  general,  but,  at  the  same  time,  pla- 
ced on  ground  which  renders  it  ascribable  to  the  will 
of  the  creature,  and  thereby  rendered  precarious  and 
uncertain.  By  so  doing,  the  necessity  of  the  new  birth 
has  been  used  as  an  argument  to  prove  that  mankind, 
in  general,  will  be  forever  excluded  from  the  kingdom 
of  God,  on  the  supposition  that  all  men  will  never  be 
born  again.  I  say  on  the  supposition  ;  for  surely 
there  is  no  scripture  authority  to  prove  that  all  men 
will  not  be  born  again. 

It  would  seem  more  reasonable  to  argue,  from  the 
necessity  of  the  new  birth,  as  follows : 

1.  As  it  is  impossible  for  any  one  to  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  God  except  he  be  born  of  the  water  and 
of  the  spirit,  if  it  were  the  will  of  God  that  all  men 
should  be  saved,  it  must  then  be  his  will  that  all  men 
should  be  born  again. 

2.  As  has  been  shown,  this  being  born  again  is  of  the 
will  of  God,  and  not  of  the  will  of  man.  Therefore 
there  can  be  no  more  uncertainty,  as  to  the  event, 
than  there  is  of  the  accomplishment  of  the  will  of  God, 
which  St  Paul  says,  is,  that  all  men  should  be  saved, 
and  come  unto  the  knowledge  of  the  truth. 

3.  No  reason  can  be  rendered  why  God  should  not 
use  all  the  means  which  he  sees  necessary  for  the  ac- 
complishment of  his  will. 

4.  From  the  foregoing  considerations  it  is  reasonable 
to  conclude  that  the  necessity  of  the  new  birth  ought 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  67 

to  be  used  as  evidence  to  prove  its  certainty  ;  for  if  it 
be  a  matter  of  infinite  importance,  and  to  be  effected 
only  by  the  will  of  God,  to  argue  that  it  will  not  be 
accomplished,  is  as  unfavorable  to  the  divine  character 
as  it  is  injurious  to  mankind. 


PARABLE.  XL 

4  A  bruised  reed  shall  he  not  break,  and  smoking  flax,  shall  he  not  quench, 
till  he  send  forth  judgment  unto  victory.' — Matt,  xii,  20. 

St  Matthew  having  given  an  account  of  some  pre- 
cautions which  Christ  made  use  of  in  order  that  the 
people  at  large  might  not  know  him ;  quotes  the  above 
passage  from  Isaiah,  as  being  fulfilled  by  Christ.  See 
Isaiah  xlii,  1,  &c. 

The  house  of  Israel  is  here  represented  by  the  sim- 
ilitude of  a  bruised  reed,  by  which  is  meant  the  low  con- 
dition in  which  Christ  found  it  when  he  came.  The 
prophet  looked  forward  from  his  day,  and  beholding 
the  house  of  Israel  in  a  low  state  of  servitude,  represent- 
ed it  by  a  bruised  reed,  and  then  prophesied  of  the 
Messiah  and  his  coming,  and  said  he  would  not  break 
what  little  strength  it  retained,  (which  was  then  only  in 
the  sceptre  of  Judah,  or  staff,  or  reed  of  his  tribeship,) 
untill  he  had  fulfilled  the  law  and  made  it  honorable  : 
which  I  understand  by  his  sending  forth  judgment  un- 
to victory.  The  continuance  of  Judah's  sceptre  until 
the  coming  of  Shiloh,  was  spoken  of  by  Jacob,  See 
Gen.  xlix,  10.  It  was  to  continue  until  Shiloh  should 
come,  after  which  it  was  broken  :  Observe,  the  bruis- 


68  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

ed  reed  was  not  to  be  broken,  nor  the  smoking  flax 
quenched,  until  judgment  was  sent  forth  unto  victory ; 
which  intimates  that  the  reed  would  then  be  broken 
and  the  flax  quenched.  Flax  is  extremely  combusti- 
ble, and  quickly  consumed  by  fire,  and  as  it  smokes  a 
little  after  the  fire  has  passed  it,  before  it  is  entirely 
gone  ;  so  the  house  of  Israel  is  represented  as  almost 
wholly  exhausted  of  its  strength,  and  dying  like  the 
wick  of  a  candle  after  the  blaze  is  extinguished  ;  but 
it  should  not  be  entirely  quenched  until  righteousness 
should  gain  the  victory  over  sin.  Then  was  Judah 's 
sceptre  broken,  and  the  light,  strength  and  glory  of  the 
legal  dispensation  vanished  forever. 


ILLUSTRATION. 

It  is  remarkable  that  notwithstanding  the  low  condi- 
tion of  the  Jews,  and  their  servitude  under  the  Roman 
yoke,  yet  they  were  preserved,  and  retained  their  ec- 
clesiastical order  until  they  had  an  opportunity  to  ex- 
ercise that  power  in  fulfilling  the  scripture  prophecies 
concerning  the  Messiah.  Had  the  sceptre  departed 
from  Judah,  or  a  lawgiver  from  between  his  feet,  be- 
fore Shiloh  came,  and  that  people  had  been  broken  up 
and  dispersed  as  they  were  immediately  afterwards, 
they  would  not  have  been  in  a  situation  to  fulfill  all  that 
the  prophets  had  written  concerning  Christ ;  they  could 
not  have  said,  We  have  a  law,  and  by  our  law  he  ought 
to  die. 

If  we  duly  consider  that  all  the  other  tribes  of  the 
children  of  Israel  had  become  extinct  before  the  com- 
ing of  Shiloh,  and  even  that  of  Judah  was  reduced  to 
contemptible  weakness,  yet  preserved  for  the  fulfillment 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  69 

of  Jacob's  prophecy,  and  the  many  other  prohecies 
concerning  the  Messiah,  it  must  operate  as  a  very  forci- 
ble argument  in  favor  of  the  divinity  of  those  scriptures 
which  were  so  remarkably  fulfilled.  What  power  of 
human  wisdom,  can  we  reasonably  suppose,  could  dis- 
cover to  the  dying  patriarch  that  Judah  would  be  the 
only  surviving  tribe,  and  that  he  would  survive  until  the 
coming  of  Shiloh  ?  If  we  attribute  this  to  the  sagacity 
of  human  wisdom,  with  a  design  to  avoid  the  idea  of 
divine  inspiration,  we  only  defeat  our  object,  by  giving 
to  human  wisdom  that  prescience  which  amounts  to  as 
much  as  divine  inspiration. 


PARABLE  XII. 

*  When  the  unclean  spirit  is  gone  out  of  a  man,  he  walketh  through  dry 
places,  seeking  rest,  and  finding  none.  Then  he  saith,  I  will  return  in- 
to my  house  from  whence  I  came  out :  and  when  he  is  come,  he  find- 
€th  it  empty,  swept  and  garnished.  Then  goeth  he,  and  taketh  with 
himself  seven  other  spirits  more  wicked  than  himself,  and  they  enter  in 
and  dwell  tiiere ;  and  the  last  state  of  that  man  is  worse  than  the  first. 
Even  so  shall  it  be  also  unto  this  wicked  generation.' — Matt,  xii,  43, 44, 
45. 

1.  Our  Saviour  in  the  above  passage  represents  the 
then  present  generation  of  the  house  of  Israel  by  a  man 
who  had  an  unclean  spirit. 

2.  He  shows  that  the  unclean  spirit  which  they  were 
possessed  of,  at  his  coming  would  seem  to  be  cast  out ; 
but  that  seven  evil  spirits  would  succeed  and  stand  in 
the  room  of  one. 

3.  He  shows  that  that  generation  would  not  find  the 
rest  which  remaineth  for  the  people  of  God,  on  account 
of  their  unbelief. 

4.  He  shows  that  they  would  enter  into  the  old 
house  of  the  law,  or  covenant  of  works,  which  they 
would  find  first  empty. 


70  NOTES     ON    THE    PARABLES. 

5.  '  Swept  and  garnished,'  that  is,  made  ready  for 
their  entrance ;  as  they  were  not  acquainted  with  the 
gospel,  they  would  attempt  safety  in  the  covenant  of 
works,  in  which  situation  they  are  seven  times  worse 
than  before ;  which  circumstances  will  be  particularly 
described  in  notes  on  Luke  xvi,  last  paragraph. 

JLLUSTRATION. 

It  is  generally  understood  that  the  Saviour  pointed  to 
a  future  state  of  endless  punishment,  when  he  said,  '  the 
last  state  of  that  man  is  worse  than  the  first.  Even  so 
shall  it  be  unto  this  wicked  generation.'  This  is  sup- 
posing that  Christ,  at  that  time,  judged  and  condemn- 
ed that  generation  to  a  state  of  endless  misery.  Yet 
this  same  divine  teacher  says,  '  For  God  sent  not 
his  Son  into  the  world  to  condemn  the  world ;  but  that 
the  world  through  him  might  be  saved.'  It  is  evident 
that  if  Christ,  condemned  that  generation  in  the  sense 
above  stated,  he  condemned  it  so  as  to  render  it  im- 
possible for  him  to  do  what  God  sent  him  to  do,  name- 
ly, to  save,  and  not  condemn.  The  mistake  which 
has  been  made  by  supposing  that  the  saviour  alluded  to 
a  future  state  of  endless  misery  in  those  passages 
where  he  speaks  of  the  situation  into  which  the  Jews 
would  be  immediately  brought,  has  given  a  general 
character  to  the  preaching  of  the  christian  clergy, 
which  is  very  different  from  that  of  the  ministry  of  re- 
conciliation. There  is  a  passage  in  Luke  xiii,  which 
has  been  made  frequent  use  of  in  the  way  of  the  above 
named  mistake ;  and  if  it  were  not  for  the  special  de- 
mands of  christian  charity,  it  would  be  next  to  impossi- 
ble to  believe  those  sincere  who  misapply  that  text.  It 
reads  as  follows  :  '  O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  which  kil- 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  71 

lest  the  prophets,  and  stonest  them  that  are  sent  unto 
thee ;  how  often  would  I  have  gathered  thy  children 
together,  as  a  hen  doth  gather  her  brood  under  her 
wings,  and  ye  would  not !  Behold,  your  house  is  left 
unto  you  desolate  : '  At  this  colon  it  is  customary  to 
stop  short,  and  apply  the  text  to  the  eternal  destruction 
of  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  accompanying  the  ap- 
plication with  an  animadversion  on  the  conduct  of  the 
Jews,  by  which  they  justly  merited  such  punishment. 
However,  the  conclusion  of  the  verse  fully  refutes  such 
an  application,  and  renders  those  who  make  the  mis- 
take as  destitute  of  an  excuse,  at  least,  as  the  Jews 
were  who  denied  Christ.  See  the  text :  'And  verily  I 
say  unto  you,  ye  shall  not  see  me,  until  the  time  come 
when  ye  shall  say,  Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord.'  This  precious  prophecy,  because 
it  contains  a  declaration  of  mercy  to  the  blinded  house 
of  Israel,  is  as  much  neglected  by  teachers  in  general, 
as  the  Saviour  was  by  those  to  whom  this  merciful  pro- 
phecy was  spoken.  The  prayer  of  our  Saviour  on  the 
cross  is  a  complete  refutation  of  all  the  arguments 
which  are  made  use  of  to  prove  the  sins  of  the  Jews, 
in  rejecting  Christ,  unpardonable,  as  is  generally  rep- 
resented :  '  Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not 
what  they  do.'  Who  where  those  who  knew  not  what 
they  did  ?  See  the  answer  in  Acts  xiii,  27,  28,  29 : 
'  For  they  that  dwell  at  Jerusalem,  and  their  rulers,  be- 
cause they  knew  him  not,  nor  yet  the  voices  of  the 
prophets  which  are  read  every  sabbath  day,  they  have 
fulfilled  them  in  condemning  him.  And  though  they 
found  no  cause  of  death  in  him,  yet  desired  they  Pilate 
that  he  should  be  slain.  And  when  they  had  fulfilled 
all  that  was  written  of  him,  they  took  him  down  from 
the  tree,  and  laid  him  in  a  sepulchre.' 


72  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

If  the  Saviour  had  before  judged  those  people  to  an 
ndless  state  of  punishment,  or  had  represented  their 
sins  as  unpardonable,  where  is  the  propriety  of  his 
praying  to  his  Father,  in  the  hour  of  his  death,  to  for- 
give them  ?  Here  was  a  glorious  display  of  the  power 
of  that  love  which  triumphed  over  sin  and  death  in  the 
person  of  Jesus.  How  contrary  is  it  to  the  very  spirit 
of  the  gospel,  to  suppose  that  the  sin  of  the  Jews 
triumphed  over  the  love  of  him  who  died  for  them,  and 
prayed  his  Father  to  forgive  them  ?  Can  we  reasona- 
bly suppose  that  this  prayer  was  contrary  to  the  will  of 
God  in  the  plan  of  grace  ?  Will  it  do  to  conclude  that 
Jesus  made  this  prayer  without  faith  ?  The  plain  fact 
is,  the  common  opinion  makes  the  death  of  Christ 
void,  makes  his  prayer  void,  makes  his  faith  void,  and, 
in  a  word,  makes  his  gospel  void.  Hence  it  is  evident 
that  we  ought  to  be  cautious  not  to  explain  the  scrip- 
tures in  such  a  way  as  to  confound  them,  or  to  contra- 
dict the  grand  design  of  the  gospel  dispensation.  We 
ought  to  remember  and  keep  it  in  mind,  that  God  will 
never  suffer  any  opposition  to  his  gospel,  to  defeat  his 
own  plan  of  divine  grace. 


PARABLE  XIII. 

*  Another  parable  put  he  forth  unto  them,  saying,  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is 
likened  unto  a  man  which  sowed  good  seed  in  his  field;  but  while  men 
slept,  his  enemy  came  and  sowed  tares  among  the  wheat,  and  went  his 
way.  But  when  the  blade  was  sprung  up,  and  brought  forth  fruit,  then 
appeared  the  tares  also.  So  the  servants  of  the  householder  came,  and 
said  unto  him,  Sir,  didst  not  thou  sow  good  seed  in  thy  field?  from 
whence  then  hath  it  tares  1  He  said  unto  them,  An  enemy  hath  done 
this.  The  servants  said  unto  him,  Wilt  thou  then  that  we  go  and  gath- 
er them  up  1    But  he  said,  Nay  ;  lest  while  ye  gather  up  the  tares,  ye 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  73 

root  up  also  the  wheat  with  them.  Let  both  grow  together  until  the 
harvest,  and  in  the  time  of  harvest  I  will  say  to  the  reapers,  Gather  ye 
together  first  the  tares  and  bind  them  in  bundles  to  burn  them ;  but  gath- 
er the  wheat  into  my  barn.'— Matt,  xiii,  24,  25,  26,  27,  28,  29,  30. 

The  reader,  by  casting  an  eye  on  the  preceding  par- 
agraphs of  this  chapter,  will  find  the  above  text  intro- 
duced by  an  explanation  of  a  preceding  parable,  in 
which  a  sower  is  represented  sowing  his  seed  ;  the 
seed  falling  in  different  situations  and  on  different 
grounds,  &c.  Different  effects  were  the  consequence, 
as  is  shown  in  the  explanation.  Christ  then  goes  on 
to  give  further  intimations  of  what  would  happen, 
or  come  to  pass,  likening  his  kingdom,  in  the  gospel 
dispensation,  as  follows  :  1.  Himself,  to  a  sower  of 
good  seed.  2.  The  word  of  the  kingdom,  to  good 
seed  that  was  sown.  3.  Man  to  whom  the  gospel  was 
preached,  to  a  field,  whose  owner  is  Christ.  4.  He 
foreshoweth  a  declension  in  the  religion  which  he  was 
introducing,  even  a  state  of  carelessness  and  inatten- 
tion, by  men  sleeping.  5.  The  introduction  of  false 
doctrines  into  the  church,  is  signified  by  an  enemy's 
sowing  tares  among  wheat.  6.  He  shows  that  false- 
hood would  be  mixed  with  truth,  in  the  understandings 
of  christians,  by  the  tares  appearing  among  the  wheat. 
7.  The  desire  of  professors  to  purge  false  ideas  and 
notions  out  of  the  church,  is  represented  by  servants 
asking  leave  to  gather  tares  from  among  wheat.  8. 
The  unskilfulness  of  those  professors,  even  all  of  those 
who  vainly  fancy  themselves  capable  of  purging  Chris- 
tendom of  errors,  is  shown  in  the  answer  to  the  ser- 
vants, '  Nay ;  lest  while  ye  gather  up  the  tares,  ye  root 
up  also  the  wheat  with  them.'  9.  That,  it  was  the 
will  of  the  Saviour  that  false  doctrines  should  be  im- 
bibed until  their  fruits  should  come  to  maturity,  is 
7 


74  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

shown  in  that  he  saith,  '  Let  both  grow  together  until 
the  time  of  harvest.'  10.  The  day  of  trial  is  repre- 
sented by  a  harvest,  or  (as  in  the  explanation  of  his 
parable  by  Christ  himself)  the  end  of  the  world  ;  the 
word  world  having  the  same  signification  as  that  of 
age.  1 1 .  An  all  glorious  manifestation  of  the  gospel 
of  reconciliation  in  its  divine  purity  through  the  min- 
istry of  the  servants  of  the  Lord,  is  represented  by  reap- 
ers sent  forth  ;  which  reapers,  or  angels,  (as  in  the 
explanations)  signify  the  faithful  laborers  whom  the 
Lord  will  send  forth  into  his  plenteous  harvest.  I  view 
them  by  an  eye  of  faith  ;  my  eyes  are  greatly  satisfied, 
and  my  heart  leapeth  for  joy :  O  my  God,  make  me 
more  like  them.  The  time  is  coming,  when  the  Lord 
will  make  his  angels  messengers,  and  his  ministers  a 
flaming  fire  indeed  ;  when  Zion's  watchmen  shall  see 
eye  to  eye  ;  and  to  them  shall  be  given  power  to  bind 
error  with  the  strong  cords  of  argument,  and  to  burn 
it  with  the  fervent  fire  of  divine  truth  and  love  ;  and  to 
gather  the  glorious  truths  and  promise  of  the  gospel 
into  a  safe  situation,  secure  from  being  any  more  adul- 
terated with  falsehood  ;  which  is  represented  by  wheat 
gathered  into  tbe  barn  separated  from  tares. 


ILLUSTRATION. 

To  make  the  foregoing  parable  signify  the  endless 
misery  of  the  wicked  part  of  the  world,  it  is  usually 
understood  as  follows : 

1.  By  good  seed  are  meant  good  men,  who  believe 
in  Christ,  and  are  his  true  disciples  in  this  world. 

2.  By  tares  are  meant  impenitent  unbelievers,  who, 
from  hardness  of  heart  and  blindness  of  mind,  reject 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  75 

the   invitations    of  the  gospel,  and    refuse  the  light 
which  God  has  sent. 

3.  By  the  tares  and  wheat  growing  together  until 
the  time  of  harvest  is  meant,  that  the  righteous  and  the 
wicked  live  together,  in  this  world,  sharing  the  privil- 
eges of  providence  in  common. 

4.  The  harvest,  or  end  of  the  world,  means  the  dis- 
solution of  this  material  earth  by  fire. 

5.  The  gathering  of  the  tares  together,  binding 
them  in  bundles  and  burning  them,  is  to  be  understood 
to  mean  the  casting  of  the  wicked  unbelievers  into  a 
state  of  inconceivable  torment,  where  their  misery  will 
never  end. 

6.  The  gathering  of  the  wheat  into  the  barn,  means 
the  acceptance  of  the  righteous  into  the  kingdom  of  ev- 
erlasting bliss. 

Let  us  now  look  and  see  how  such  an  explanation 
may  be  justified  by  the  text.  If  tares,  in  the  parable, 
mean  wicked  men,  what  does  the  text  mean  by  saying 
that  while  men  slept  an  enemy  came  and  sowed  tares 
among  the  wheat,  and  went  his  way  ?  Here  the  read- 
er is  called  upon  to  exercise  candor.  Who  were  those 
men,  who  slept  at  the  time  this  enemy  sowed  tares  a- 
mong  the  wheat  ?  Were  those  men  righteous  or  wick- 
ed ?  It  seems  that  their  getting  so  much  off  of  their 
guard  as  to  be  asleep,  gave  this  enemy  an  opportunity 
of  sowing  his  tares.  But  the  above  explanation  sup- 
poses that  the  wicked  are  the  tares.  Jesus  says,  in  the 
explanation  of  this  parable,  that  he  who  sowed  the 
tares  is  the  devil.  If  then  tares  mean  unbelievers,  what 
is  meant  by  the  devil's  sowing  them  among  the  righ- 
teous, or  the  wheat  ?  It  is  disagreeable  even  to  state 
any  thing  so  absurd  as  this  erroneous  opinion  ap- 
pears to  be,     But  that  the  matter  may  be  so  stated 


76  NOTES     ON    THE    PARABLES. 

that  none  may  misunderstand,  the  facts  may  stand 
thus  :  If  the  wheat  mean  righteous  people,  then  the 
Son  of  man  sowed  righteous  people  in  this  world .  If 
wicked  people  are  the  tares,  then  the  devil  sowed 
wicked  people  in  this  world,  while  the  righteous  were 
asleep !  As  no  reasonable  person  can  believe  that  the 
devil  sowed  wicked  men  in  this  world,  so,  it  should  seem, 
no  person  in  the  free  exercise  of  his  reason,  can  believe 
that  tares,  in  the  text,  mean  wicked  men.  Yet  if  we 
admit  the  wild  notion  of  Christ's  sowing  the  righteous 
in  this  world,  and  of  the  devil's  sowing  the  wicked 
here  among  them,  what  will  be  the  consequences? 
Who  did  Christ  come  to  save  ?  The  righteous  ?  No, 
he  came  not  to  call  the  righteous,  but  sinners  to  repen- 
tance. If  tares  can  be  converted  into  wheat,  which 
must  be  supposable  according  to  the  common  opinion, 
then  it  would  be  a  waste  to  cast  away  or  burn  the  tares. 
He  that  said, '  Gather  up  the  fragments  that  nothing 
be  lost,'  will  never  burn  tares,  if  he  can  convert  them 
into  wheat,  as  easily  as  he  could  feed  the  multitudes 
which  he  did  with  so  small  a  quantity  of  provision. 

Let  us  look  again  and  see  if  there  be  any  analogy 
between  the  foregoing  sentiments  rnd  the  context 
which  introduces  this  parable. 

As  is  observed  in  the  notes,  the  reader  may  find  this 
parable  introduced  by  an  explanation  of  a  preceding 
parable.  l  Behold  a  sower  went  forth  to  sow ;  and 
when  he  sowed,  some  seeds  fell  by  the  way  side,  and 
the  fowls  came  and  devoured  them  up.  Some  fell  up- 
on stony  places,  where  they  had  not  much  earth  ;  and 
forthwith  they  sprung  up,  because  they  had  no  deep- 
ness of  earth  ;  and  when  the  sun  was  up  they  were 
scorched ;  and,  because  they  had  no  root,  they  wither- 
ed away.  And  some  fell  among  thorns  ;  and  the  thorns 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  77 

sprang  up  and  choked  them.  But  others  fell  into  good 
ground,  and  brought  forth  fruit,  some  an  hundred  fold, 
some  sixty  fold,  some  thirty  fold.'  As  is  shown  in  the 
explanation  which  Christ  gave  the  above  parable,  he 
evidently  meant  to  represent  the  gospel  which  he 
preached  by  seed  which  the  sower  sowed,  the  different 
hearers  of  the  word,  by  the  different  soils  into  which 
the  seed  fell,  &c.  See  the  explanation.  '  When  any  one 
heareth  the  word  of  the  kingdom,  and  understandeth  it 
not,  then  cometh  the  wicked  one,  and  catcheth  away 
that  which  was  sown  in  his  heart.  This  is  he  which 
received  seed  by  the  way  side.  But  he  that  received 
the  seed  into  stony  places,  the  same  is  he  that  heareth 
the  word,  and  anon  with  joy  receiveth  it :  Yet  he  hath 
not  root  in  himself,  but  dureth  for  a  while ;  for  when 
tribulation  or  persecution  ariseth  because  of  the  word 
by  and  by  he  is  offended.  He  also  that  received  seed, 
among  the  thorns,  is  he  that  heareth  the  word  ;  and 
the  care  of  this  world,  and  the  deceitfulness  of  riches, 
choke  the  word,  and  he  becometh  unfruitful.  But  he 
that  receiveth  seed  into  the  good  ground  is  he  that 
heareth  the  word,  and  understandeth  it,  which  also 
beareth  fruit,  andbringeth  forth,  some  an  hundredfold, 
some  sixty,  some  thirty.' 

With  the  above  explanation,  Jesus  introduced  the 
parable  of  the  tares  of  the  field.  Now  as  Jesus  evi- 
dently means  to  represent  the  word  of  his  kingdom, 
which  he  preached,  by  the  seed  which  fell  in  different 
grounds,  where  is  the  propriety  in  supposing  that  he 
means  men  and  women  by  the  good  seed  which  he 
sowed  in  his  field  ?  or  by  tares  which  the  enemy  sow- 
ed? 

If  we  are  disposed  to  use  the  words  of  our  blessed 

Redeemer  in  a  candid  manner,  and  learn  his  meaning 

7* 


78  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

by   a   careful  connexion   of  the   sacred   text,   it  will 
appear  very  evident  that  the  above  notes  on  the  para- 
ble of  the  tares  of  the  field  embrace  the  general  ideas 
there   communicated.      Wheat  is    by   no   means   an 
unsuitable   emblem   of  the   word   of  the   gospel,  the 
true   doctrine   of  divine    life.      Nor   are    tares   of  a 
very   different   character   from  false  doctrines,  which 
make  many  appearances  like  the  truth,  as  tares  do 
like   wheat,   when  in  the  blade.     As  tares  are  of  a 
hurtful  nature  among  wheat,  choking  it  and  render- 
ing the  harvest  light,  so  are  the  false  doctrines  in  the 
christian  church ;  they  have  choked  the  pure  word  of 
l'ife,  and  while  they  have  flourished  themselves,  the 
truth  seemed  to  wither  away.     It  does  not  appear  at 
all  unlikely,  that  by  harvest,  or  end  of  the  world,  the 
Saviour  might  mean  the  same  which  he  communicated 
to  his  servant  John  on  the  isle  of  Patmos,  relative  to 
the  close  of  the  reign  of  the  beast.     It  is  then  that  an 
angel   comes   down   from  heaven  with  a  chain,  and 
binds  the  old  serpent,  the  devil,  who  sowed  the  tares. 
This  angel,  no  doubt,  signifies  the  ministry  of  the  two 
witnesses,  after  they  are  quickened  with  the  spirit  of 
life  from  God.     St.  Paul  directs  us  to  the  same  event, 
and  gives  it  a  similiar  appearance  in  2  Thes.  ii,  7,  8 : 
*  For  the  mystery  of  iniquity  doth  already  work ;  only 
he  who  now  letteth,  will  let,  until  he  be  taken  out  of 
the   way ;  and  then   shall   that   wicked   be   revealed, 
whom  the  Lord  shall  consume  with  the  spirit  of  his 
mouth,   and   shall  destroy  with  the  brightness  of  his 
coming.'      The   present  is   the   day   in   which   these 
scriptures  are  receiving  their  fulfilment.     The  day  of 
the  Lord  is  already  come  ;  and  it  burns  like  an  oven.    It 
is  manifested  by  fire,  and  shall  try  every  man's  works,  or 
doctrines,  by  fire.  Those  doctrines  which  are  justly  rep- 
resented by  tares,  are  also  represented  by  St  Paul  by  hay, 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  79 

wood  and  stubble  ;  these  are  to  be  burnt,  and  the  posses- 
sors of  them,  and  those  who  framed  them,  are  to  suffer 
loss.  See  1  Cor.  iii,  15:  'If  any  man's  work  shall  be 
burnt,  he  shall  suffer  loss  :  but  he  himself  shall  be 
saved ;  yet  so  as  by  fire.'  It  is  well  to  notice  that 
when  the  true  light  advances,  and  the  darkness  is 
fleeing  away,  the  ministers  of  darkness  cry  out  against 
the  prevailing  errors  of  the  times,  and  call  it  a  day 
of  darkness.  This  is  described  by  the  prophet :  see 
Amos  v,  16 — 23  :  '  Therefore  the  Lord,  the  God  of 
hosts,  the  Lord,  saith  thus,  Wailing  shall  be  in  all 
streets  ;  and  they  shall  say  in  all  the  highways,  Alas ! 
alas  !  and  they  shall  call  the  husbandman  to  mourning, 
and  such  as  are  skilful  in  lamentation  to  wailing.  And 
in  all  vineyards  shall  be  wailing :  for  I  will  pass  through 
thee,  saith  the  Lord.  Woe  unto  you  that  desire  the 
day  of  the  Lord  !  to  what  end  is  it  for  you  ?  The  day 
of  the  Lord  is  darkness  and  not  light.  As  if  a  man 
did  flee  from  a  lion,  and  a  bear  met  him  ;  or  went 
into  the  house  and  leaned  his  hand  on  the  wall,  and  a 
serpent  bit  him.  Shall  not  the  day  of  the  Lord  be  dark- 
ness and  not  light  ?  even  very  dark,  and  no  bright- 
nes  in  it?  I  hate,  I  despise  your  feast-days,  and  I 
will  not  smell  in  your  solemn  assemblies.  Though  ye 
offer  me  burnt-offerings,  and  your  meat  offerings,  I 
will  not  accept  them  ;  neither  will  I  regard  the  peace- 
offerings  of  your  fat  beasts.  Take  thou  away  from 
me  the  noise  of  your  songs  ;  for  I  will  not  hear  the 
melody  of  your  viols.'  How  remarkably  clear  the 
present  day  is  pointed  out  in  the  above  scripture  !  The 
christian  clergy  have  been  praying  for  a  long  time  that 
the  glorious  day  of  the  Lord  would  come,  that  papal 
darkness  and  idolatry  might  come  to  an  end,  and  that 
the  true  gospel  might  shine  so  clearly  as  to  discover 


80  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

and  consume  all  error ;  and  God,  according  to  his  prom- 
ises, is  now  accomplishing  these  things  ;  but  what  are 
those  who  desired  the  day  of  the  Lord  about  ?     Why, 
groping  in  thick  darkness,  according  to  the  words  of 
the  prophet.     They  are  calling  the  husbandmen  who 
have  been  laboring  to  raise  up  the  tares,  and  to  pluck 
up  the  wheat,  to  mourning  ;  and  those  among  them, 
who  are  skilful  in  lamentation,  are  called  to  wailing. 
Who  would  have  believed,  thirty  years  ago,   that  our 
clergy  in  America  would  have  set  up  a  lamentation 
at  the  downfall  of  popery  ?  Would  they  not  have  rejoic- 
ed then,  if  they  could  have  believed  that  any  of  them 
should   live   to  see  the  day  ?      But  the  overflowing 
scourge  comes  too  near  them.     They  thought  them- 
selves secure  ;  they  said, '  We  have  made  a  covenant 
with  death,  and  with  hell  are  we  at  agreement ;  when 
the  overflowing  scourge  shall  pass  through,   it  shall 
not  come  unto  us  :  for  we  have  made  lies  our  refuge, 
and  under  falsehood  have  we  hid  ourselves.'      But 
God  answers  them  as  follows;  see  Isaiah  xxviii,  16 — 
20  :  '  Therefore,  thus  saith  the  Lord  God,  Behold  I 
lay  in  Zion  for  a  foundation,  a  stone,  a  tried  stone, 
a  precious  corner  stone,  a  sure  foundation  ;  he  that 
believeth  shall  not  make  haste.     Judgment  also  will  I 
lay  to  the  line,  and  righteousness  to  the  plummet ;  and 
the  hail  shall  sweep  away  the  refuge  of  lies,  and  the 
waters  shall  overflow  the  hiding-places.      And  your 
covenant  with  death  shall  be  disannulled,  and  your 
agreement  with  hell  shall  not  stand  ;  when  the  overflow- 
ing scourge  shall  pass  through,  then  ye   shall  be  trod- 
den down  by  it.     From  the  time  that  it  goeth   forth  it 
shall  take  you  :  for  morning  by  morning  shall  it  pass 
over,  by  day  and  by  night ;  and  it  shall  be  a  vexation 
only  to  understand  the  report.      For  the  bed  is  short- 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  81 

er  than  a  man  can  stretch  himself  on  it,  and  the  cover- 
ing narrower  than  that  he  can  wrap  himself  in  it.' 

The  doctrine  of  limited,  partial  salvation,  and  end- 
less punishment,  in  which  there  is  no  mercy,  as  there 
is  none  of  that  wisdom  in  it,  which  is  full  of  mercy  and 
without  partiality,  is  the  bed,  on  which  the  wisdom  of 
this  world,  which  cometh  to  nought,  has  been  endea- 
voring, in  a  thousand  ways,  to  stretch  that  man  who  is 
more  precious  than  the  gold  of  Ophir  ;  but  the  bed  is 
too  short.  The  benevolent  Jesus  says,  notwithstand- 
ing they  have  decked  their  bed  with  tapestry,  and  with 
the  fine  linen  of  Egypt,  yet  I  have  not  where  to  lay 
my  head.  His  head  is  therefore  wet  with  dew,  and 
his  locks  with  the  drops  of  the  night. 

How  much  skirting  and  fringing  there  have  been  to 
the  creeds  of  antichrist !  and  after  all,  the  covering  is 
too  narrow.* 

*  Although  the  author  is  still  satisfied  with  the  general  use  which  his  notes 
and  illustrations  make  of  the  parable  of  the  tares  of  the  field,  yet  he  is  strong- 
ly inclined  to  apply  the  parable  more  especially  to  the  age  in  which  the  Sa- 
viour-lived. It  seems  more  than  probable,  that  by  the  time  of  the  harvest, 
which  in  his  own  exposition  he  says  <  is  the  end  of  the  world/  he  meani 
the  end  of  the  then  present  state  of  the  Jews,  as  is  so  clearly  expressed  Kb 
Matt.  xxiv.  Nothing  can  be  more  evident  than  that  what  Jesus  <xnd  his 
disciples  meant  by  the  end  of  the  world,  of  which  we  read,  in  this  chapter 
was  the  end  of  the  Jewish  polity  and  their  destruction  by  the  Romans.  By  un- 
derstanding the  time  of  the  harvest,  or  end  of  the  world  to  allude  to  the  time 
of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  we  bring  this  parable  into  connexion  with 
those  which  we  have  before  applied  to  those  times  and  to  that  event.  And 
although  the  author  now,  as  formerly,  believes  that  by  good  seed  in  the  para, 
ble,  the  Saviour  meant  the  true  doctrine  which  he  preached ;  and  by  tares,  the 
errors  which  would  be  introduced  into  his  church,  yet  he  is  satisfied  that  the 
Saviour  meant  the  same  by  casting  the  tares  into  the  fire,  that  they  might  be 
burned,  as  was  meant  in  a  former  parable  by  casting  those  trees  which  do  not 
bring  forth  good  fruit  into  the  fire.  In  his  explanation  of  the  parable  of  the 
tares,  Jesus  says, '  As  therefore  the  tares  are  gathered  and  burned  in  the  fire ; 
so  shall  it  be  in  the  end  of  this  world,  (atwioc.)  The  Son  of  man  shall  send 
forth  his  angels,  and  they  shall  gather  out  of  his  kingdom  all  things  that  of- 
fend, and  them  which  do  iniquity,  and  shall  cast  them  into  a  furnace  of  fire; 


82  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 


PARABLE    XIV, 

'Another  parable  put  he  forth  unto  them,  saying,  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is 
like  to  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  which  a  man  took  and  sowed  in  his 
field:  which  indeed  is  the  least  of  all  seeds;  but  when  it  is  grown,  it  is 
the  greatest  among  herbs,  and  becometh  a  tree;  so  that  the  birds  of  the 
air  come  and  lodge  in  the  branches  thereof.' — Mi&t.  xiii,  31,  32. 

In  this  parable,  Christ  represents, 
1.  The  gospel  of  everlasting  life,  by  one  grain  of 
mustard  seed  ;  not  on  account  of  its  smallnes,  or  insig- 

there  shall  be  wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth.  Then  shall  the  righteous  shine 
forth  in  the  kingdom  of  their  Father.'  It  is  evident,  by  these  words,  that  al- 
though the  Saviour  must  mean  the  destruction  of  false  doctrines,  by  die  burn- 
ing of  tares,  yet  by  wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth  he  meant  the  suffering  of 
the  people  who  had  imbibed  those  errors ;  for  false  doctrines,  abstractly,  can- 
not wail  and  gnash  their  teeth;  but  people  who  imbibe  those  doctrines  may. 
It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  Jesus  identified  in  his  explanation,  false  doctrines 
with  those  who  should  imbibe  them,  and  thereby  be  exposed  to  suffer  in  con- 
sequence. This  identifying  of  the  person  with  the  doctrine  he  receives,  oc- 
curs in  the  Saviour's  explanation  of  the  parable  of  the  sower,  with  which  ex- 
planation he  introduced  this  parable  of  the  tares.  Let  us  compare  the  parable 
with  the  explanation.  See  verses  5,  6.  Some  fell  upon  stony  places,  where 
they  had  not  much  earth ;  and  forthwith  they  sprung  up,  because  thev  had  no 
deepness  of  earth;  and  when  the  sun  was  up  they  were  scorched  ;  and  because 
they  had  no  root,  withered  away.'  Here  Jesus  is  evidently  speaking  of  the 
'  word  of  the  kingdom.'  Now  compare  this  with  the  explanation,  verses 
20,  21:  '  But  he  that  receiveth  the  seed  into  stony  places,  the  same  is  he  that 
heareth  the  word  and  anon  with  joy  receiveth  it  ;  yet  hath  he  not  root  in  him- 
self, but  dureth  for  a  while;  for  when  tribulation  or  persecution  ariseth  be- 
cause of  the  word,  by  and  by  he  is  offended.'  Mere  we  see  that  the  person 
who  heard  the  word,  is  the  subject  spoken  of,  and  is  identified  with  it. 

If  we  compare  the  language  which  Jesus  used  in  the  explanation  of  this 
parable  of  the  tares,  with  what  he  says  in  Matt,  xxiv,  of  his  coining  to  judge 
and  destroy  Jerusalem,  it  will  not  appear  unreasonable  to  conclude  that  he  had 
the  same  times  and  events  in  view  in  both  passages.  One  remark  more 
seems  proper  respecting  the  right  application  of  the  parable  under  considera- 
tion. Although  we  have  no  disposition  to  agree  with  commentators  in  giving 
tocertain  passages  of  scripture  two  or  three  applications,  so  as  to  make  the 
same  text  apply  to  an  event  to  take  place  here  on  our  earth,  and  also  to  some 
event  in  a  future    world,  yet  we  are  sensible  that  on  account  of  the  sameness 


NOTES  ON    THE    PARABLES.  83 

nificancy,  in  itself  considered  ;  but  on  account  of  its 
small  appearance  when  it  was  first  revealed  to  man  on 
earth,  by  a  threat  to  the  serpent  in  which  it  was  said 
'  The  seed  of  the  woman  should  bruise  his  head.'  Or 
perhaps  with  more  propriety,  on  account  of  its  small 
appearance  at  the  commencement  of  the  gospel  day. 

2.  Mankind,  or  human  nature,  by  a  field,  in  which 
the  mustard  seed  is  sown  :  in  which  this  parable  cor- 
responds with  the  former. 

3.  Christ  represents  himself,  by  the  man  who  sowed 
the  mustard  seed  :  His  doctrine,  which  he  preached, 
by  the  mustard  seed  which  appeared  vain  and  insignifi- 
cant to  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  ;  the  least  of  all  seeds, 
the  most  despised  in  the  eyes  of  vain  and  foolish  men 
who  judge  by  the  outward  appearance  of  things,  with- 
out being  able  to  scan  their  inward  qualities,  or  deter- 
mine their  real  worth.  And  how  many  millions  of  stu- 
pid mortals  are  daily  neglecting  those  glorious  truths 
of  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  the  gospel  of  everlasting 
consequence  and  value,  and  running  greedily  in  pur- 
suit of  the  false  glare  of  things  of  a  momentary  conse- 
quence, and  even  building  their  happiness  in  acquisi- 
tions which  ought  and  must  be  their  shame. 

4.  He  showeth  the  future  superiority  of  the  gospel 
over  all  other  religions,  by  the  mustard  seed,  which  af- 
ter it  is  grown,  is  the  greatest  among  herbs. 

And  lastly,  That  rest  which  mankind  shall  finally 
obtain  in  the  many  mansions  of  divine  grace,  is  signi- 
fied by  fowls  lodging  in  the  branches  of  this  chiefest 
among  herbs. 

of  different  times  and  events,  which  occur  in  our  present  mode  of  existence 
no  essential  injury  can  arise  from  applying  a  passage  of  scripture,  which  par- 
ticularly belongs  to  events  which  took  place  eighteen  hundred  years  ago,  te 
events,  now  taking  place,  which  bear  a  very  near  resemblance  to  them. 


84  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

ILLUSTRATION. 

In  the  Psalm  Ixxii,  the  doctrine  of  Christ  is  represen- 
ted as  follows :  see  verse  16  :  'There  shall  be  an  hand- 
ful of  corn  in  the  earth  upon  the  top  of  the  mountains  ; 
the  fruit  thereof  shall  shake  like  Lebanon :  and  they  of 
the  city  shall  nourish  like  grass  of  the  earth.' 

To  the  eye  of  human  wisdom,  the  hope  would  be 
small,  and  the  expectations  faint,  which  should  arise  to 
the  numerous  inhabitants  of  a  city,  from  one  handful  of 
corn,  especially  if  that,  in  the  room  of  being  sown  in  a 
luxuriant  vale,  should  be  cast  on  the  tops  of  moun- 
tains. Yet  notwithstanding  these  unpromising  ap- 
pearances, we  are  assured,  in  the  sacred  text,  that  its 
fruit  shall  shake  like  Lebanon,  and  that  they  of  the  ci- 
ty shall  nourish  like  grass  of  the  earth.  The  exten- 
siveness  of  the  Redeemer's  grace  and  kingdom  is  very 
beautifully  set  forth  in  this  Psalm.  See  verse  6,  die  : 
1  He  shall  come  down  like  rain  upon  the  mown  grass  ; 
as  showers  that  water  the  earth.  In  his  days  shall  the 
righteous  nourish  ;  and  abundance  of  peace  so  long  as 
the  moon  endure th.  He  shall  have  dominion  also 
from  sea  to  sea,  and  from  the  river  unto  the  ends  of  the 
earth.  They  that  dwell  in  the  wilderness  shall  bow  be- 
fore him ;  and  his  enemies  shall  lick  the  dust.  The 
kings  of  Tarsish  and  of  the  isles  shall  bring  presents ; 
the  kings  of  Sheba  and  Seba  shall  offer  gifts.  Yea, 
all  kings  shall  fall  down  before  him  ;  all  nations  shall 
serve  him.'  What  heart  can  refrain  from  joy  on  being  as- 
sured that  all  those  kings  who  have  made  their  terrors 
known  on  the  earth,  whose  wicked  reigns  are  recorded 
as  horrible  monuments  of  human  pride  and  ambition, 
whose  very  names,  on  account  of  their  ungodly  cruelty 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  85 

are  words  of  reproach  shall  finally  be  the  humble,  peni- 
tent subjects  of  divine  grace  ?  Is  there  a  lover  of  the 
blessed  Jesus,  in  the  world,  who  can  refrain  from  glad- 
ness when  assured  that  all  nations  shall  serve  this  glo- 
rious captain  of  our  salvation  ? 

The  wonderful  increase  and  growth  of  the  gospel  in 
the  world,  and  the  diminishing  of  false  doctrines  in 
the  same  ratio,  represented  by  the  parable  of  the  mus- 
tard seed,  are  clearly  set  forth  in  Ezekiel  xvii,  22-24  : 
Thus  saith  the  Lord  God,  I  will  also  take  of  the  high- 
est branch  of  the  high  cedar,  and  will  set  it,  I  will  crop 
off  from  the  top  of  his  young  twigs  a  tender  one,  and 
will  plant  it  upon  an  high  mountain  and  eminent.  In 
the  mountain  of  the  height  of  Isreal  will  plant  it ;  and 
it  shall  bring  forth  boughs,  and  bear  fruit,  and  be  a 
goodly  ceder :  and  under  it  shall  dwell  all  fowl  of  eve- 
ry wing ;  in  the  shadow  of  the  branches  thereof  shall 
they  dwell.  And  all  the  trees  of  the  field  shall  know 
that  I  the  Lord  have  brought  down  the  high  tree,  have 
exalted  the  low  tree,  have  dried  up  the  green  tree,  and 
have  made  the  dry  tree  to  flourish  :  I  the  Lord  have 
spoken,  and  have  done  it.'  The  popular  religion, 
which  has  appeared  so  high,  green  and  flourishing,  in 
which  the  carnal  pride  of  man  has  so  much  delighted, 
is  set  forth  in  the  above  text,  as  brought  low  and  dried 
up ;  while  the  true  gospel,  which,  in  the  eyes  of  vain 
professors,  has  appeared  low  and  dry,  even  as  a  root 
out  of  dry  ground,  having  no  comeliness,  is  represent- 
ed as  being  exalted  and  flourishing. 

Christ  and  his  doctrine,  as  they  appeared  to  the 
scribes,  Pharisees,  and  doctors  of  divinity,  was  low, 
mean  and  contemptible.  Many  were  the  plausible  ob 
jections  which  those  self  styled  learned  divines  could 
make  to  Jesus  and  his  religion.  He  was  not  educated 
8 


.86  "     NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

in  their  divinity  school ;  he  was  not  regularly  inducted 
into  Moses'  seat  as  a  teacher ;  he  went  about  as  an  in- 
novator, preached  any  where,  where  he  found  an  audi- 
ence, sometimes  on  board  of  a  ship,  at  another  in  some 
desert  place,  then  on  some  mountain.  He  was  re- 
markable for  being  a  friend  to  sinners,  and  was  con- 
stantly in  their  company,  which  he  seemed  to  prefer  to 
the  company  of  those  who  supposed  that  their  sanctity 
and  zeal  for  the  true  religion  would  have  attracted  the 
attention  of  any  true  prophet  of  God.  He  forgave  sin- 
ners their  sins,  set  them  at  liberty  from  satan's  yoke, 
and  adopted  them  iuto  his  family.  This  was  very  dis- 
gusting to  those  who  prided  themselves  on  their  own 
goodness, 

If  those  sinners,  who  knew  not  the  law,  could  be  for- 
given and  admitted  into  divine  favor,  they  were  just  as 
well  provided  for  as  those  who  had  studied  the  law 
according  to  the  rules  of  their  school,  fasted  twice  in  a 
week,  and  paid  tithes  of  all  which  they  possessed  This 
in  their  opinions,  must  have  appeared  very  irreligious, 
and  demoralizing,  and  of  a  tendency  dangerous  to  the 
cause  of  true  religion.  The  Sabbath  day  wTas  so  much 
disregarded  as  to  have  miracles  of  mercy  performed  on 
it,  to  the  great  grief  of  these  godly  fathers  of  the 
church.  And,  indeed,  as  if  to  render  himself  odious  in 
their  sight,  Jesus  informed  them  for  certainty,  that 
publicans  and  harlots  should  enter  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  before  they.  What  could  these  blinded  bigots 
naturally  conclude,  but  that  Jesus  was  a  Samaritan 
and  had  a  devil  ?  Thus  they  thought,  and  they  treat- 
ed the  Lord  of  glory  with  contempt,  and  his  doctrine 
with  scorn.  Yet  this  least  of  all  seed  grew,  run  and 
was  glorified,  until  its  towering  branches  over- top- 
ped all  the  religion  of  the  scribes  and   Pharisees,  put 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  87 

out  the  light  of  pagan  idolatry,  and  become  very  glori- 
ous. But  Zion  in  her  travels  has  her  nights  as  well  as 
her  days.  Since  the  revival  of  the  doctrine  of  the  old 
Pharisees,  together  with  many  superstitions  of  the  Gen- 
tiles, which  have  been  established  in  Christendom, 
bearing  the  name  of  antichrist,  Zion  has  been  in  the 
wilderness  in  a  low  condition  and  desolate.  But  her 
time  is  now  come,  and  the  Lord  is  now  fulfilling  his 
promise  in  returning  her  captivity,  and  rendering  her 
the  joy  of  the  whole  earth.  Her  doctrine  is  as  much 
despised  by  those  who  stand  in  the  spirit  and  religion 
of  the  old  Pharisees,  as  it  was  by  those  Pharisees  when 
her  Son  preached  it  in  the  flesh.  However,  we  have 
God's  promise,  and  we  may  safely  trust  in  it,  that  she 
shall  be  established  in  righteousness,  and  that  she  shall 
be  far  from  oppression  ;  that  no  weapon  that  is  formed 
against  her  shall  prosper  :  and  every  tongue  that  shall 
rise  against  her  in  judgment,  she  shall  condemn. 


PARABLE  XV. 

*  Another  parable  spake  he  unto  them :  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto 
leaven,  which  a  Avoman  took  and  hid  in  three  measures  of  meal,  till  the 
whole  was  leavened.' — Matt,  xiii,  33. 

By  this  parable  we  learn,  1st.  The  divine  efficacy  of 
the  gospel  on  the  creature  who  stands  in  need  of  its 
salvation,  by  the  power  of  leaven  operating  in  meal. 

2.  We  are  taught  that  all  momentous  truth  and  sub- 
lime  idea  :  that  the  real  nature  of  man  absolutely  stands 
in  relation  to  Christ,  or  to  his  gospel,  as  meal  does  to 
leaven  ;  for,  it  may  be  observed,  that  leaven  could 
have  no  possible  operation  in  meal,  did  not  the  meal, 
in  its  own  nature,  possess  a  quality  that  is  congenial 
with  leaven. 


83  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

3.  The  final  effects  of  divine  grace  in  the  ministry  of 
reconciliation,  in  which  we  look  for  universal  submis- 
sion to  Christ  in  his  glorious  and  ever  blessed  kingdom 
signified  in  that  it  is  said,  '  until  the  whole  was  leaven- 
ened.' 


ILLUSTRATION. 

As  leaven  has  a  power  to  assimilate  meal  with  itself 
so  as  to  form  but  one  mass  and  to  constitute  a  unity  of 
all  its  parts,  it  is  a  remarkably  happy  representation  of 
the  power  of  divine  light,  truth  and  love,  in  their  op- 
eration in  saving  mankind  from  sin,  and  bringing  them 
into  reconciliation  with  God.  To  effect  this  reconcil- 
iation is  the  great  object  of  the  gospel  ministry,  as  may 
be  seen  in  St  Paul's  2d  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians, 
where  he  shows  the  general  process  of  bringing  man- 
kind from  the  system  of  the  flesh  into  that  of  the  spir- 
it, the  doing  away  of  old  things,  and  the  making  of  all 
things  new  in  conformity  to  God.  See  verse  41,  &c: ' 
'  For  the  love  of  Christ  constraineth  us,  because  we 
thus  judge,  that  if  one  died  for  all  then  were  all 
dead :  and  that  he  died  for  all,  that  they  which  live 
should  not  henceforth  live  unto  themselves,  but  unto 
him  which  died  for  them,  and  rose  again.  Wherefore, 
henceforth  know  we  no  man  after  the  flesh  :  Yea  though 
we  have  known  Christ  after  the  flesh,  yet  now  hence- 
forth know  we  him  no  more.  Therefore,  if  any  man 
be  in  Christ  he  is  a  new  creature  :  old  things  are  pass- 
ed away  ;  behold,  all  things  are  become  new.  And 
all  things  are  of  God,  who  hath  reconciled  us  to 
himself  by  Jesus  Christ,  and  hath  given  to  us  the 
ministry  of  reconciliation ;  to   wit,  that   God   was   in 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  89 

Christ  reconciling  the  world   unto   himself,  not  impu- 
ting their  trespasses  unto  them.' 

The  opinion  of  our  doctors,  that  the  very  nature  of 
map  is  so  depraved  that  there  is  nothing  morally  good 
in  it,  and  that  it  is  totally  averse  to  the  nature  of  God 
is  doubtless  erroneous.  St  Paul  says,  Rom.  v,  8: 
*  But  God  commendeth  his  love  toward  us,  in  that, 
while  we  were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us.'  Again, 
he  speaks  of  the  great  love  wherewith  God  loved 
us,  even  when  we  were  dead  in  sins. 

Here  let  us  inquire,  what  it  was  that  God  loved  ? 
He  surely  could  not  love  that  which  is  totally  contra- 
ry to  his  nature  ;  yet  he  loved  us  while  were  yet  sinners. 
It  is  believed,  and  taught,  that  man  by  sin  has  lost  the 
image  of  God  in  which  he  was  created  ;  but  this  opin- 
ion does  not  well  agree  with  the  teaching  of  Christ, 
where  he  represents  the  sinner  by  a  lost  sheep,  a  lost 
piece  of  silver,  and  by  a  son  who  went  away  from  his 
father  and  foolishly  spent  his  interest.  In  these  para- 
bles, the  sinner  is  represented  as  remaining  the  same  in 
nature  and  substance,  but  changed  as  to  circumstance 
and  disposition.  If  the  prodigal  had  lost  the  image 
which  he  had  when  he  went  from  his  father,  by  what 
did  the  father  know  him,  while  he  was  yet  a  great  way 
off?  Again,  if  the  sinner  have  nothing  good  in  him, 
what  does  he  sin  against  ?  Where  there  is  no  law, 
there  is  no  transgression.  The  apostle  says, '  the  Gen- 
tiles having  not  the  (written)  law,  are  a  law  unto  them- 
selves :  which  show  the  works  of  the  law  written  in 
their  hearts,  their  conscience  also  bearing  witness,  and 
their  thoughts  the  meanwhile  accusing  or  else  excusing 
one  another.' 

The  scriptures  generally   consider  mankind  to  stand 
in  the  relation  of  children  to  God,  though  the  children 
8* 


90  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

are   represented   as   alienated  from   the   life   of  God, 
through  the  ignorance  there  is  in  them.     Now  if  it  be 
ignorance  which  is  the  cause  of  our  alienation,  it  is 
evident  that  it  is  our  ignorance  which  has  produced  all 
in  us  which  is  contrary  to  our  heavenly  Father.      This 
being  the  case,  it  is  easy  to  see  what  will  be  the  conse- 
quence of  the   fulfilment  of  the  scripture  which  saith, 
'All  shall  know  me  from  the  least  unto  the  greatest. 
This  knowledge  will  do  away  every  thing  in  us  which 
is  contrary  to  holiness,  and  mould  or  assimilate  us  into 
the  likeness  of  truth.     Jesus  says  to  the  Jews,  if  you 
knew  the  truth,  the  truth  should  make  you  free  ;  and 
again  he  says  in  his  prayer  to  his  Father, '  this  is  life 
eternal  that  they  might  know  thee  the  only  true  God, 
and  Jesus  Christ  whom  thou  hast  sent.'     If  the  com- 
mon doctrine  were  true,  the  reverse  of  these  scriptures 
would  be  true  ;  for  if  the  nature  of  man  be  opposed 
to  the  nature  of  God,  then  the  more  we  know  of  God, 
the  more  we  should  feel  an  aversion  to  him.     Again, 
it  is  an  invariable  law  of  nature,  as  far  as  we  can  ex- 
amine, that  those  things  and  circumstances  which  agree 
with  the  nature  of  any  creature,  are  best  calculated  to 
make  that  creature  happy.     The  bird  being  constitu- 
ted congenial  to  the  air,  cannot  subsist  in  the  water, 
but  is  as  happy  in   the  air  as  the  fish  is   in    his  native 
element.     So  of  the  fish,  he  being  fitted  to  the  ele- 
ment   of  water,  is  as  happy    there  as  the  bird  is  in 
the  element  to  which  he  is  fitted.  Would  it  then  be  a  bless- 
ing to  the  bird  to  convert  his  nature  into  that  of  a  fish? 
or  would  it  be  a  blessing  to  the  fish  to  be  converted  into 
a  bird  ?     It  is  plain  that  it  would   add  nothing  to  the 
happiness  of  either.     To  change  the  nature  of  a  crea- 
ture, is  therefore  not  a  blessing  ;    but  to  help  any  crea- 
ture  out  of  a  circumstance  which  is  contrary  to   its 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  91 

nature  into  one  more  agreeable,  is  a  blessing.  The 
deliverance  which  we  obtain  by  the  gospel  of  Christ, 
is  therefore  represented  as  having  such  an  effect.  St 
Peter  speaks  to  his   brethren,   of  God's  calling  them 

OUt  Of  DARKNESS    into   his    MARVELLOUS     LIGHT.       Why 

was  this  a  blessing  ?  Because,  darkness  is  not  so  pleas- 
ant nor  so  agreeable  as  light.  But  the  objector  must 
have  the  liberty  to  suggest  that  men  choose  darkness 
rather  than  light ;  and  it  is  true  that  they  do.  And 
there  are  two  reasons  for  it ;  the  first  is,  they  put  dark- 
ness for  light ;  and  the  second  is,  their  deeds  are  evil. 
The  prophet  Isaiah  speaks  of  Christ  as  being  given 
for  a  covenant  of  the  people,  for  a  light  of  the  Gen- 
tiles ;  to  open  the  blind  eyes,  to  bring  out  the  prisoners 
from  the  prison,  and  them  that  sit  in  darkness  out  of  the 
prison  house.'  As  it  is  not  so  agreeable  to  our  nature 
to  be  blind,  and  in  darkness,  as  it  is  to  see  and  have  the 
light,  so  such  metaphors  are  chosen  to  represent  the 
salvation  of  man  from  his  sin,  which  is  so  contrary  and 
tormenting  to  his  nature. 

As  a  prison  house  is  disagreeable  to  men,  and  our 
very  nature  shudder  at  the  thought  of  confinement,  so 
it  is  proper  to  represent  a  state  of  sin  by  such  a  simili- 
tude. And  as  freedom  from  imprisonment,  is  an  ob- 
ject of  the  highest  possible  concern  with  one  who  is 
confined,  so  it  is  proper  to  represent  the  blessings  of 
the  gospel,  which  saves  us  from  the  bondage  of  sin, 
by  such  an  emblem.  But  what  propriety  would  there 
be  in  such  representations,  if  the  sinner  wTere  in  a  sit- 
uation perfectly  agreeable  to  his  nature,  as  is  the  bird 
when  on  its  wings  in  the  air. 

What  is  suggested  in  notes,  of  the  universal  sub- 
mission to  Christ  in  his  glorious  and  ever  blessed  king- 
dom, may  be  illustrated  and  fully  proved  by  the  follow- 


92  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

ing  scriptures:  Eph.  i,  8,9,  10:  'Wherein  he  hath 
abounded  towards   us  in   all  wisdom  and  prudence : 
having  made  known  unto  us  the  mystery  of  his  will, 
according  to  his  good  pleasure,  which  he  hath  purposed 
in  himself :  that,  in  the  dispensation  of  the  fulness  of 
times,  he  might  gather  together  in  one  all  things  in 
Christ,  both  which  are  in  heaven,  and  which  are  on 
earth,  even  in  him.'     It  is  just  to  notice,  that  as  the 
parable  represents  the  whole  mass  of  meal  to  be  leav- 
ened, which  brings  the  whole  into  a   unity  of  circum- 
stance, so  the  apostle,  in  the  above  text,  speaks  of 
all  things  being  gathered    together   in    one,  in  Christ. 
The  apostle  says,  as  has  been  noticed  before, '  If  any 
man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a    new  creature.'     And   here 
he   says   that  all  things  in  heaven  and  on  earth    shall 
be  gathered  together  in  Christ  ?  which  corresponds  with 
the   words  of  him   who   sitteth    on    the  throne,  who 
saith,  '  Behold    I    make  all  things  new.'       Phil,  ii,  9, 
10,    11:     Wherefore   God   also    hath    highly    exalt- 
ed him,   and  given  him  a    name  which  is  above  eve- 
ry name  ;  that  at  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should 
bow,  of    things   in   heaven,  and  things  in  earth,   and 
things  under  the  earth  ;  and  that  every  tongue  should 
confess,    that  Jesus  Christ   is   Lord,    to    the   glory    of 
God   the  Father.'     Col.  i,  19,  20,  21:    'For  it  pleas- 
ed the  Father,  that  in  him  should  all  fulness  dwell : 
And    (having  made  peace  through   the  blood  of  his 
cross)  by  him,  to  reconcile  all  things  unto  himself;  by 
him   I  say   whether  they  be  things  in  earth,  or  things 
in  heaven.     And  you,  that  were   sometimes  alienated? 
and  enemies  in  your  mind   by   wicked   works,yet  now 
hath    he  reconciled.'     Let   us    ask  the  following   im- 
portant questions    relative  to    those   scriptures   above 
quoted. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  93 

1 .  What  is  the  fact  which  the  author  of  those  pas- 
sages intended  to  communicate  by  them  ? 

2.  Is  that  fact  clearly  expressed  by  the  words 
which  the  author  used  ? 

3.  Is  that  fact  consistent  with  the  moral  character 
of  God,  so  as  to  be  honorary  to  him  ? 

4.  Is  it  consistent  with  the  spirit  of  Christ,  so  as  to 
be  honorary  to  his  mediatorial  office  ? 

In  answer  to  the  first  question,will  it  do  to  say  that 
the  fact  which  the  apostle  meant  to  communicate  in 
those  passages,  is  that  God  has  made  known  the  mys- 
tery of  his  will  according  to  the  good  pleasure  which 
he  purposed  in  himself,  that  through  the  mediation  of 
Jesus,  he  designs  the  reconciliation  of  but  a  small  part 
of  mankind  to  himself  ?  and  that  only  a  few  of  the  hu- 
man race  shall  be  finally,  in  the  dispensation  of  the  ful- 
ness of  times,  gathered  together  in  one  in  Christ  ?  Is 
there  one  single  expression,  in  those  scriptures,  which 
goes,  in  the  least  sense,  to  express  such  a  fact  ?  There 
surely  is  not ;  but  the  whole  appears  to  have  been  de- 
signed to  express  something  very  different.  The  ex- 
pressions used  in  the  notes  seem  to  be  as  suitable  to  ex- 
press the  fact  which  we  are  after,  as  any  at  command. 
6  Universal  submission  to  Christ  in  his  glorious  and  ev- 
er blessed  kingdom.'  And  in  candor  the  reader  is  re- 
quested to  judge,  and  on'  mature  deliberation,  wheth- 
er there  are  any  expressions  left  out  of  the  above  quot- 
ed  scriptures,  which  are  wanting  to  express  this  fact. 

To  the  second  question  it  may  be  replied,  that  there 
appears  not  the  least  ambiguity  in  the  expressions,  but 
a  manifest  design,  and  that  by  an  exellent  master  of 
language,  to  state  the  fact  as  plainly  as  possible.  As  it 
respects  universality,  he  says,  All  things  in  heaven  and 
%n  earth,  and  under  the  earth.     As  vt  respects  submis- 


94  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

sion,  he  says,  Gather  together  in  one  all  things  in 
Christ :  that  at  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should 
bow,  and  that  evert/  tongue  should  confess  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father.  By 
him  to  reconcile  all  things  to  himself  Thus  the  fact 
expressed  is  as  plain  as  words  can  make  it. 

To  the  third  question,  we  find  an  answer  in  one  of 
the  passages  quoted,  as  follows  :  (  That  at  the  name 
of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  and  that  every  tongue 
should  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory 
of  God  the  Father.' 

The  last  question  must  be  answered  in  the  affirma- 
tive ;  for  the  spirit  of  Christ  in  all  believers,  moves  them 
to  pray  for  universal  reconciliation  to  God  through  his 
mediation,  which  prayer  is  consistent  with  the  manifest 
object  of  the  mediatorial  office,  as  expressed  in  the  fol- 
lowing scriptures  :  '  For  this  purpose  was  the  Son  of 
God  manifested,  that  he  might  destroy  the  works  of 
the  devil.'  '  And  we  know  that  he  was  manifested 
to  take  away  our  sins.'  '  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God 
which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world.' 


PARABLES  XVI,  XVII. 

8  Again,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  treasure  hid  in  a  field  :  the  which 
when  a  man  hath  found,  hehideth,  and  fur  joy  thereof  goeth  andselleth  all 
that  he  hath,  and  buyeth  that  field.'— Matt  xiii,  44. 

Christ  here  represents, 

1.  Human  nature,  by  a  treasure. 

2.  This  mortal  state  of  flesh  and  blood,  by  a  field, 
in  which  the  treasure  was  hidden. 


NOTES    ON    THE  PARABLES.  95 

3.  Himself,  by  the  one  who  found  the  treasure,  and 
for  joy  hid  it. 

4;  His  becoming  poor,  that  we  through  his  povety 
might  be  made  rich,  and  his  vesting  himself,  through 
his  mediatorial  process,  with  all  power  in  heaven  and 
in  earth  ;  and  his  obtaining  power  over  all  flesh,  is  rep- 
resented by  a  man's  selling  all  that  he  had,  and  buying 
the  field  which  contained  the  treasure. 

*  Again,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  merchantman  seeking  goodly 
pearls  ;  who,  when  he  hath  found  one  pearl  of  great  price,  he  went  and 
sold  all  that  he  had,  and  bought  it.' — Verses  45,  46. 

The  ideas  communicated  in  this  parable  are  almost 
similar  to  those  in  the  preceding. 

1 .  Human  nature  is  here  represented  by  a  pearl  of 
great  price. 

2.  The  Saviour  represents  himself  by  a  merchant 
man  seeking  goodly  pearls. 

3.  The  success  of  his  mission  in  seeking  and  sa- 
ving that  which  was  lost,  is  shown  in  that  the  mer- 
chant man  found  a  pearl  of  great  price,  and  made  it 
his  own  by  purchase  ;  for  which  purpose,  he  sold  all 
that  he  had,  as  described  in  the  former  parable.  But 
let  it  be  remembered,  for  the  excitement  of  eternal  grat- 
itude, that  this  purchase  was  with  great  price.* 

ILLUSTRATION. 

The  two  parables  foregoing,  are  so  similar,  that  an 
illustration  of  one  answers  for  both.  It  is  acknowledged 
that  divines,  respectable  for  their  learning,  and  highly 

*  The  reader  will  recollect  the  author's  remarks,  in  his  preface,  respecting 
the  parable  of  the  merchantman  seeking  goodly  pearls  ;  and  that  of  the 
treasure  hid  in  a  field.     See  pp.  6  and  7. 


96  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

deserving  for  their  assiduity  in  study,  have  understood 
and  taught  that  the  pearl  of  great  price  is  Christ  Jesus. 
And  agreeably  to  this  generally  received  opinion,  it  is 
customary  to  make  use  of  the  parable  to  awaken  sin- 
ners to  the  importance  of  seeking  Christ  and  of  get- 
ting an  interest  in  him  before  it  is  too  late.  However, 
this  opinion,  notwithstanding  it  is  supported  by  much 
authority  from  commentators,  is  subject  to  the  follow- 
ing objections  from  the  scriptures. 

1.  Mankind  in  a  state  of  sin  are  represented  by 
sheep  gone  astray  ;  by  the  sick  who  need  a  physician  ; 
by  captives  to  be  redeemed  ;  by  prisoners  in  a  pit,  who 
are  to  be  visited.  Now  if  Christ  be  the  pearl  of  great 
price,  and  the  sinner  the  merchant  man,  it  is  putting 
the  burden  and  labor  on  the  lost  sheep  to  find  the 
shepherd ;  it  supposes  that  it  is  the  duty  of  the  sick  to 
visit  the  physician ;  of  captives  also  to  redeem  those 
on  whom  they  depend  for  redemption  ;  and  it  also 
supposes  that  those  prisoners  in  the  pit  must  get  out 
themselves,  and  go  and  find  somebody  to  assist  them 
out  of  their  difficulty. 

2.  The  Saviour  says,  *  The  Son  of  man  came  to 
seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost.'  Again, '  Oth- 
er sheep  I  have,  which  are  not  of  this  fold  ;  them  also 
I  must  bring,  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice  ;  and  there 
shall  be  one  fold  and  one  shepherd.'  Again, '  The 
whole  need  not  the  physician,  but  they  that  are  sick.' 
It  is  also  written, '  They  shall  be  gathered  together  as 
prisoners  are  gathered  in  the  pit,  and  shall  be  shut  up 
in  the  prison,  and  after  many  days  shall  they  be  vis- 
ited.' 

3.  As  to  the  purchase,  what  has  the  sinner  to  sell 
which  will  enable  him  to  purchase  Christ  ?  and  if  this 
could  be  done,  how  could  it  be  said,  that  God  so  loved 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  97 

the  world  that  he  gave  his  only  legotten  Son  &c,  ? 
On  the  other  hand,  is  it  not  said,  that  Christ  bought 
his  church  with  his  own  blood?  Are  we  not  told,  that 
we  are  not  our  own,  but  that  we  are  bought  with  a 
price  ?  and  that  we  are  not  redeemed  with  corruptible 
things,  such  as  silver  and  gold,  but  with  the  precious 
blood  of  Christ?  Though  it  would  be  uncharitable  to 
accuse  commentators  of  insincerity  in  explaining  the 
scriptures  contrary  to  their  manifest  meaning,  yet  we 
may  venture  to  set  the  common  opinion  of  the  parable 
of  the  pearl  of  great  price,  to  the  credit  of  antichrist ; 
as  it  is  by  such  turns  he  opposes  Christ  as  the  Saviour 
of  sinners. 

The  objector  to  the  opinion  that  human  nature  is  the 
pearl  of  great  price,  and  Christ  the  merchant  man, 
will  say  that  mankind,  in  a  state  of  sin,  cannot  justly 
be  represented  by  a  treasure,  or  pearl  of  great  price. 
This  objection  would  have  all  the  weight  which  the 
objector  would  attach  to  it,  if  human  nature  were 
totally  depraved,  as  is  generally  supposed.  But  this 
cannot  be  granted,  for  reasons  given  in  the  illustration 
of  the  notes  on  the  parable  of  the  leaven,  together 
with  those  that  follow. 

i.  When  God  made  man,  he  pronounced  him  very 
good.  Now  if  man  was  very  good,  could  he  be  made 
good  for  nothing  as  easily  as  is  generally  represented  ? 
If  the  wisdom  of  God  pronounced  man  very  good,  is  it 
not  reasonable  to  conclude  that  he  was  so  viewed, 
in  the  wisdom  of  God,  in  relation  to  the  whole  of  his 
existence. 

2.  The  general  tenor  of  the  gospel  represents  the 
Saviour  as  giving  himself  for  us,  giving  himself  a  ran- 
som for  all,  redeeming   us  with  his  own  blood,   &c. 
Now,  is  not  this  Christ  the  same  wisdom   of  God 
9 


98  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

which  pronounced  man  very  good,  in  the  beginning? 
St.  Paul  calls  {  Christ  the  power  of  God,  and  the  wis- 
dom of  God.'  And  is  not  this  the  wisdom  of  God 
which  speaks  in  Proverbs  viii,  saying,  '  Then  I  was  by 
him,  as  one  brought  up  with  him ;  and  I  was  daily  his 
delight,  rejoicing  always  before  him :  rejoicing  in  the 
habitable  parts  of  his  earth :  and  my  delights  were 
with  the  sons  of  men.' 

If  any  change  had  taken  place  in  the  sons  of  men, 
after  creation,  before  Christ,  who  is  the  wisdom  of  God 
came  in  the  flesh,  which  rendered  them  of  no  value  in 
the  eye  of  this  wisdom,  then  how  is  it  possible  that 
Christ  should  still  set  his  affections  and  love  upon  them  ? 

As  it  is  impossible  for  divine  wisdom  to  set  too  high 
value  on  any  subject,  it  must  be  conceded,  that  if  God 
loved  us  witha  great  love,  even  when  we  were  dead 
in  sin,  that  there  is  in  us  a  value  equal  to  being  thus 
loved.  If  it  be  objected  that  this  argument,  though 
as  clear  as  light,  and  as  simple  as  truth,  exalts  the 
creature,  wherein  he  ought  to  be  abased  ;  let  it  be  re- 
plied, that  this  argument  sets  up  no  value  or  worth  in 
the  creature  which  is  the  result  of  any  moral  agency, 
or  physical  power  at  his  disposal ;  but  it  shows  a  value 
or  worth  which  divine  goodness  gave  the  creature  in 
creation  ;  of  which,  however  ignorant  we  may  be  of  it, 
divine  wisdom  can  never  lose  sight. 

4.  The  supposition  that  there  is  not  a  value  in  man 
as  great  as  this  argument  contends  for,  but  that  he  is  a 
totally  depraved  creature,  casts  an  unfavorable  reflec- 
tion on  the  Creator,  turn  the  argument  which  way  we 
will.  To  say  that  God  created  a  being  of  no  value? 
in  his  own  sight,  is  more  than  any  person  can  believe. 
And  to  say  that  he  created  a  being  of  so  little  worth, 
or  placed  that  worth  on  such  a  principle  as  that  it 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 


99 


should  be  destroyed  forever,  is  an  absurdity  of  equal 
deformity  with  the  other  ;  for  the  Creator  might  have 
made  his  creature  good  for  nothing  in  the  first  place, 
as  well  as  to  constitute  him  so  as  that  he  would  become 
good  for  nothing  afterwards. 

5.  The  process  of  divine  grace  in  bringing  mankind 
into  a  state  of  holiness  and  reconciliation  to  God,  is  re- 
presented by  WASHING,  PURGING,  CLEANSING,  PURIFY- 
ING, refining,  &c.  Now,  none  of  those  terms  can  be 
justly  applied  to  that  which  is  of  no  value.  See  Mai. 
iii,  1,  %  3  ;  '  Behold  I  will  send  my  messenger,  and  he 
shall  prepare  the  way  before  me ;  and  the  Lord  whom 
ye  seek  shall  suddenly  come  to  his  temple,  even  the 
messenger  of  the  covenant,  whom  ye  delight  in  :  Be- 
hold he  shall  come,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts.  But  who 
may  abide  the  day  of  his  coming?  and  who  shall 
stand  when  he  appeareth  ?  for  he  is  like  a  refiner's  fire, 

and  like  fuller's  soap  :    and  he  shall  eit  ae  a  refiner  and 

purifier  of  silver :  and  he  shall  purify  the  sons  of  Levi, 
and  purge  them  as  gold  and  silver,  that  they  may  offer 
unto  the  Lord  an  offering  in  righteousness.'  In  this 
scripture  the  sons  of  Levi  are  represented  by  gold 
and  silver,  not  on  account  of  their  moral  holiness  or 
personal  righteousness,  for  if  that  had  been  the  case, 
they  would  not  have  needed  purging  or  refining.  The 
use  of  fuller's  soap  is  to  cleanse  that  which  is  valuable 
in  itself,  from  filth  which  is  not  valuable. 

6.  If  mankind  be  of  as  little  worth  in  the  sight  of 
God,  as  christian  divines  have  represented,  the  whole 
race  of  Adam  might  have  been  struck  out  of  existence 
without  making  an  unfavorable  breach  in  the  system  of 
God's  creation.  If  so,  the  continuance  of  mankind  in 
being,  is  totally  unnecessary,  and  unworthy  of  a  God 
of  infinite  wisdom.     And  yet  it  is  evident  that  were 


100  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

there  no  such  race  of  beings  as  man,  there  would  be 
no  such  office  as  mediator  between  God  and  man,  nor 
any  vestige  of  that  gospel  into  which  the  angels  desire 
to  look.  O  what  folly  has  come  from  unclean  lips ! 
How  much  to  the  dishonor  of  the  divine  economy  are 
those  vain  notions  which  are  considered  as  essential  in 
the  faith  of  christians !  But  there  has  been  an  hour 
and  power  of  darkness  with  the  christian  church. 
Taught  in  tender  youth  such  vain  absurdities,  men  of 
abilities,  of  letters,  of  honest  piety,  and  respectable  for 
their  morals,  are  zealous  defenders  and  supporters  of 
ideas  which  involve  the  greatest  absurdities  possible. 

But  the  fact  is,  if  man  be  acknowledged  of  any  val- 
ue in  the  sight  of  his  Maker,  and  if  it  be  acknowledged 
that  God  really  has  a  love  for  him,  the  doctrine  of  end- 
less punishment,  or  of  eternal  banishment  from  God, 
has  nothing  to  support  it.  For  who  can  believe  that 
a  God  of  infinite  wisdom  has  created  beings  whom  he 
has  pronounced  good,  and  very  good,  set  his  love  up- 
on them  as  his  own  offspring,  created  them  in  his  own 
image,  and  after  granting  them  many  blessings  in  a 
temporal  state,  will  make  them  endlessly  miserable  in 
an  eternal  world  ?  Contrasted  with  such  erroneous 
opinions,  how  does  the  gospel  of  the  blessed  Jesus 
shine  !  embracing  the  alienated  sons  of  God  in  an 
everlasting  covenant  of  salvation,  ordered  and  in  all 
things  sure. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  101 


PARABLE  XVIII. 

Again,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  net  that  was  cast  into  die  sea, 
and  gathered  of  every  kind  :  which  when  it  was  full,  they  drew  to 
the  shore,  and  sat  down,  and  gathered  the  good  into  vessels,  but  cast 
the  bad  awav  .' — Matt,  xiii,  47. 


It  will  be  proper  in  this  place  to  introduce  a  somewhat 
similar  parable,  which  we  find  in  chap,  xxii,  from  the 
beginning  to  the  14th  verse,  inclusive :  '  And  Jesus 
answered  and  spake  unto  them  again  by  parables,  and 
said, '  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  certain 
king  which  made  a  marriage  for  his  son ;  and  sent 
forth  his  servants  to  call  them  that  were  bidden  to  the 
wedding :  and  they  would  not  come.  Again  he  sent 
forth  other  servants,  saying,  Tell  them  which  are  bid- 
den, Behold  I  have  prepared  my  dinner  :  my  oxen  and 
my  fatlings  are  killed,  and  all  things  are  ready:  come 
unto  the  marriage.  But  they  made  light  of  it,  and 
went  their  ways,  one  to  his  farm,  and  another  to  his 
merchandise :  and  the  remnant  took  his  servants, 
and  entreated  them  spitefully,  and  slew  them.  But 
when  the  king  heard  thereof  he  was  wroth :  and  he 
sent  forth  his  armies,  and  destroyed  those  murderers, 
and  burnt  up  their  city.  Then  saith  he  to  his  servants, 
The  wedding  is  ready,  but  they  which  were  bidden 
were  not  worthy.  Go  ye  therefore  into  the  high  ways, 
and  as  many  as  ye  shall  find  bid  to  the  marriage.  So 
those  servants  went  out  into  the  highways,  and  gather- 
ed together  all,  as  many  as  they  found,  both  bad  and 
good :  and  the  wedding  was  furnished  with  guests. 
And  when  the  king  came  in  to  see  the  guests,  he  saw 
there  a  man  which  had  not  on  a  wedding  garment : 
9* 


102 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 


and  he  saith  unto  him,  Friend,  how  earnest  thou  in 
hither  not  having  a  wedding  garment  ?  And  he  was 
speechless.  Then  said  the  king  to  the  servants,  Bind 
him  hand  and  foot,  and  take  him  away,  and  cast  him 
into  utter  darkness  :  there  shall  be  weeping  and  gnash- 
of  teeth.  For  many  are  called  but  few  are  cho- 
sen.' 

1.  Christ  in  this  parable  represents  the  Father  of 
all  mercies,  by  a  king  who  made  a  marriage  for  his 
son. 

2.  Himself,  by  a  prince,  for  whom  his  Father  made 
a  wedding. 

3.  The  then  present  opportunity  of  receiving  Christ 
and  his  doctrine,  while  he  was  graciously  preaching 
the  word  of  the  kingdom,  and  evincing  of  his  authori- 
ty bj  incontestable  evidences  of  power  and  grace,  is 
signified  by  a  wedding. 

4.  The  house  Israel,  undoubtedly,  is  meant  by  those 
who  were  bidden. 

5.  The  message,  brought  to  the  Jews  by  Christ  and 
those  whom  he  ordained  to  preach  to  the  lost  sheep  of 
the  house  of  Israel,  is  represented  by  the  call  to  those 
who  were  bidden. 

6.  The  persecution  which  they  met  with  from  the 
Jews,  is  denoted  by  the  treatment  which  the  servants 
experienced. 

7.  The  neglect  of  the  Jews  on  this  occasion,  is  sig- 
nified by  those  who  were  bidden  making  light  of  the 
invitation,  one  going  to  his  farm,  and  another  to  his 
merchandise. 

8.  The  destruction  of  the  Jews  by  the  Romans,  is 
meant  by  the  king's  being  wrathful,  and  sending  forth 
his  armies  to  destroy  these  murderers,  and  to  burn  up 
their  city  ;  meaning  Jerusalem. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  103 

We  now  come  to  that  part  of  this  parable  which 
corresponds  with  the  one  above  written ;  the  same 
thing  being  meant  by  the  servant's  being  sent  into  the 
highways  as  is  meant  by  a  net's  being  cast  into  the  sea. 
And  the  reader  will  easily  observe,  that  the  same  thing 
is  meant,  by  gathering  together  all,  as  many  as  were 
found,  both  bad  and  good,  as  is  meant  by  the  net's 
gathering  of  every  kind.  And  the  man  who  had  not 
a  wedding  garment,  in  the  parable  of  the  marriage,  an- 
swers to  the  bad  in  the  parable  of  the  net ;  and  the 
binding  of  the  man  and  casting  him  into  utter  darkness, 
answers  to  the  casting  of  the  bad  fish  away. 

But  let  us  look  carefully,  that  we  may  find  who 
were  represented  by  bad  fish,  in  one  parable,  and  by 
a  man  who  had  not  a  wedding  garment,  in  the  other. 

1.  By  a  wedding  garment,  I  understand  the  righte- 
ousness of  Christ,  of  which  I  spoke  in  notes  on  chap. 
ix,  16. 

2.  The  garment  which  was  not  accepted  as  a  wed- 
ding garment,  was  the  garment  which  we  mentioned  in 
notes  last  referred  to,  which  was  prepared  by  putting  a 
piece  of  new  cloth  to  an  old  garment  whereby  the 
rent  in  the  old  garment  was  made  worse. 

3.  By  coming  to  the  wedding,  in  the  one  parable , 
and  being  caught  in  the  net,  in  the  other,  is  meant  com- 
ing into  the  open  profession  of  Christianity.  Now  be- 
hold the  group  !  Here  are  many  crying,  Lord  !  Lord  ! 
but  not  disposed  in  heart  to  do  the  will  of  the  Father. 
Here  are  multitudes  who  have  been  at  the  trouble  of 
patching  up  a  righteousness  by  depending  on  the 
righteousness  of  Christ  in  conjunction  with  their  own  : 
The  fishers  of  men  have  caught  of  every  kind ;  and 
now  comes  the  division.  Christians  by  profession, 
who  know  nothing  of  the  all  renovating  power  of  divine 


104  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

grace,  who  call  Jesus  Lord,  but  depend  on  works  of 
their  own  for  acceptance  with  God,  are  in  a  worse 
situation  than  those  who  make  no  profession  at  all; 
and  we  may  say  to  such,  as  Christ  said  to  the  Pharisees 
and  scribes, '  publicans  and  harlots  go  into  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  before  you.' 

Being  cast  away,  in  one  parable,  and  being  cast  into 
utter  darkness,  in  the  other,  represents  the  despairing 
situation  into  which  the  hypocrite  is  reduced  by  the 
perishing  of  his  hope.  But  that  the  reader  may  have 
a  scriptural  knowledge  of  consequence  arising  from  a 
destruction  of  this  false  righteousness;  let  him  turn 
to  1  Cor.  iii,  11,  &c,  where  we  find  that  those  who 
suffered  the  loss  of  their  own  works,  (which  are  rep- 
resented by  hay,  wood  and  stubble)  by  fire,  are  saved 
by  that  same  fire. 

ILLUSTRATION. 

As  it  is  conceived  that  the  notes  make  the  main 
particulars  of  the  foregoing  parables  evident  and  plain 
to  the  understanding  of  the  reader,  the  following  illus- 
tration will  be  directed  to  show  the  meaning  of  the  ap- 
plication made  by  Christ,  of  the  parable  :  See  Matthew 
xiii,  49,  50 :  'So  shall  it  be  at  the  end  of  the  world  : 
The  angels  shall  come  forth,  and  shall  sever  the  wick- 
ed from  among  the  just,  and  shall  cast  them  into 
the  furnace  of  fire  :  There  shall  be  wailing  and  gnash- 
ing of  teeth.  This  furnace  of  fire  is  generally  under- 
stood to  signifiy  a  state  of  never  ending  torment  in 
the  future  world.  This  wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth 
is  supposed  to  indicate  the  sorrows  and  pains  of  this 
state  of  torment. 

On  the  contrary,  the  foregoing  notes  suggest  that 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  105 

this  furnace  of  fire  is  a  state  of  purification,  as  represent- 
ed by  St.  Paul,  1  Cor.  iii,  11,  &c,  where  he  speaks  of 
a  trial  of  every  man's  works  by  fire.  This  wailing  and 
gnashing  of  teeth  will  be  found  to  indicate  the  situation 
of  the  mind  in  consequence  of  enduring  the  loss  sus- 
tained by  this  purifying  fire. 

With  a  view  to  cast  scriptural  light  on  this  subject, 
it  may  be  well  to  obtain  knowledge  of  the  scripture 
use  of  these  words. 

1.  Of  a  furnace;  see  Proverbs  xvii,  3:  'The 
fining  pot  is  for  silver,  and  the  furnace  for  gold :  but 
the  Lord  trieth  the  hearts.'  Deuteronomy  iv,  20  : 
<  But  the  Lord  hath  taken  you,  and  brought  you  forth 
out  of  the  iron  furnace,  even  out  of  Egypt,  to  be  unto 
him  a  people  of  inheritance,  as  ye  are  this  day.' 
Ezekiel  xxii,  18 — 22  :  '  Son  of  man,  the  house  of 
Israel  is  to  me  become  dross  ;  all  they  are  brass,  and 
tin,  and  iron,  and  lead,  in  the  midst  of  the  furnace  ; 
they  are  even  the  dross  of  silver.  Therefore  thus 
saith  the  Lord  God,  because  ye  are  all  become  dross, 
behold  therefore,  I  will  gather  you  into  the  midst  of 
Jerusalem.  As  they  gather  silver,  and  brass,  and  iron, 
and  lead,  and  tin,  into  the  midst  of  the  furnace  to  blow 
the  fire  upon  it,  to  melt  it ;  so  will  I  gather  you  in  mine 
anger  and  in  my  fury,  and  I  will  leave  you  there,  and 
melt  you.  Yea,  I  will  gather  you,  and  blow  upon  you  in 
the  fire  of  my  wrath,  and  ye  shall  be  melted  in  the 
midst  thereof.  As  silver  is  melted  in  the  midst  of 
the  furnace,  so  shall  ye  be  melted  in  the  midst  there- 
of; and  ye  shall  know  that  I  the  Lord  have  poured 
out  my  fury  upon  you.'  It  may  be  well  to  notice  that 
in  the  above  representation  of  the  house  of  Israel,  there 
appears  to  be  much  dross,  some  brass,  some  tin,  some 
lead,  some  iron  and  some  silver.  The  occasion  of  melt- 
ing them  in  the  furnace  is  evidently  to  separate  the 


106  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

pure  metal  from  the  dross.  Gen.  xv,  17  :  '  And  it 
came  to  pass  when  the  sun  went  down,  and  it  was 
dark,  behold  a  smoking  furnace,  and  a  burning  lamp, 
that  passed  between  those  pieces.'  This  smoking  fur- 
nace showed  to  the  father  of  many  nations,  the  trials 
and  afflictions  through  which  his  children  would  pass ; 
and  the  burning  lamp  represented  the  light  of  the 
covenant  of  grace  given  to  Abraham  by  promise.  Isaiah 
xlxiii,  10  :  '  Behold,  I  have  refined  thee,  but  not  with 
silver ;  I  have  chosen  thee  in  the  furnace  of  afflic- 
tion.' 

The  proper  use  of  a  furnace  is  to  refine  and  puri- 
fy ;  and  this  agrees  perfectly  with  the  representation  gi- 
ven by  St  Paul  in  Cor.,  as  before  noticed.  It  is  true 
that  Nebuchadnezzar,  king  of  Babylon,  had  a  furnace 
which  he  designed  for  a  different  use,  which  was  only 
to  compel  the  people  to  worship  the  image  which  he 
had  set  up  on  the  plains  of  Dura,  or  to  destroy  them  in 
case  of  disobedience ;  and  that  the  king  of  spiritual 
Babylon  should  have  a  similar  invention  to  compel  peo- 
ple to  worship  the  image  which  he  has  set  up  is  rea- 
sonable enough  to  suppose  ;  but  that  the  true  God 
should  be  so  exactly  like  the  king  of  the  bottomless 
pit,  is  not  only  unreasonable  but  unscriptural. 

2.  Of  wailing.  See  Esth.  iv,  3  :  'And  in  every 
province  whithersoever  the  king's  commandment  and 
his  decree  came,  there  was  great  mourning  among  the 
Jews,  and  fasting,  and  weeping,  and  wailing  ;  and 
many  lay  in  sackcloth  and  ashes !'  This  weeping  and 
wailing  was  not  for  never  ending  misery.  Jerem.  ix, 
19:  '  For  a  voice  of  wailing  is  heard  out  of  Zion, 
how  are  we  spoiled  ! '  Nothing  here  about  endless  mis- 
ery. Amos  v,  16,  has  been  noticed  before,  and  corres- 
ponds with  Rev.  xviii,  15,  16,  &c.     'The  merchants 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  107 

of  these  things,  which  were  made  rich  by  her,  shall 
stand  afar  off  for  fear  of  her  torment,  weeping  and 
wailing,  and  saying  alas,  alas !  that  great  city,  that  was 
clothed  in  fine  linen,  and  purple,  and  scarlet,  and  dec- 
ked with  gold,  and  precious  stones,  and  pearls,  for  in 
one  hour  is  so  great  riches  come  to  nought.' 

These  riches  of  mystery — Babylon,  by  which  her 
merchants  were  made  rich,  are  the  religious  mysteries 
and  dogmas  of  the  antichristian  church.  This  city  is 
to  be  burned  with  the  fire  of  purifying  truth ;  and 
while  those  merchants,  who  have  lived  deliciously  by 
the  sales  of  those  mysteries  of  iniquity,  see,  to  their 
utter  confusion  and  mortification,  all  those  riches  com- 
ing to  nought,  bewail  their  fate  in  bitter  lamentations, 
and  cry  out  religion  is  coming  to  an  end ! 

This  wailing  seems  a  very  natural  incident  to  a  cir- 
cumstance like  that  described  by  St  Paul  to  the  Corin- 
thians, where  he  says,  -if  any  man's  work  be  burnt,  he 
shall  suffer  loss.'  When  a  man  suffers  the  loss  of 
what  he  esteems  great  riches,  by  the  all-devouring  ele- 
ment of  fire;  when  he  sees  the  flames  rising  from  all 
his  treasures,  which  he  by  no  means  conceived  were 
combustible,  wailing  and  bitter  lamentations  are  very 
natural  consequences.  But  who  can  describe  the  tran- 
sition of  the  despairing  mind  on  discovering  that  this 
devouring  element  is  working  his  greatest  possible  ben- 
efit !  '  But  he  himself  shall  be  saved  ;  yet,  so  as 
by  fire.' 

3.  Of  gnashing  the  teeth.  See  Psal.  cxii,  10  :  'The 
wicked  shall  see  it  and  be  grieved  ;  he  shall  gnash  with 
his  teeth,  and  melt  away ;  the  desire  of  the  wicked 
shall  perish.'  This  grieving  and  gnashing  of  the  wic- 
ked is  because  of  the  exaltation  of  the  horn  or  power 
of  the  righteous.     See  the  context,  'He  hath  disper- 


108  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

sed  ;  he  hath  given  to  the  poor  ;  his  righteousness  en- 
dureth  forever  ;  his  horn  shall  be  exalted  with  ho- 
nor.' 

Who  are  the  wicked  who  are  grieved  because  the 
Saviour,  who  is  the  righteous,  has  given  to  the  poor  ? 
Who  were  the  wicked,  who  gnashed  their  teeth  on 
Christ  because  he  was  a  friend  to  publicans  and  sin- 
ners ?  Answer,  it  was  those  who  viewed  themselves 
righteous,  and  condemned  others. 

The  Saviour  speaks  again  in  Psalm  xxxv,  16,  'With 
hypocritical  mockers  in  feasts,  they  gnashed  upon  me 
with  their  teeth.'  When  Stephen  touched  the  fire  of 
divine  truth  to  the  combustible  righteousness  of  the 
high  priests,  it  produced  this  gnashing  of  teeth.  See 
Acts  vii,  51 — 54  :  'Ye  stiff-necked  and  uncircumcised 
in  heart  and  ears,  ye  do  always  resist  the  Holy  Ghost : 
as  your  fathers  did,  so  do  ye.  Which  of  the  prophets 
have  not  your  fathers  persecuted  ?  and  they  have  slain 
them  which  showed  before  of  the  coming  of  the  just 
one ;  of  whom  ye  have  been  now  the  betrayers  and 
murderers  :  who  have  received  the  law  by  the  disposi- 
tion of  angels,  and  have  not  kept  it.  When  they 
heard  these  things  they  were  cut  to  the  heart,  and  they 
gnashed  on  him  with  their  teeth'  Why  did  they 
gnash  on  Stephen  with  their  teeth  ?  Because  he  told 
them  the  truth,  and  they  could  not  withstand  his  words. 
The  high  priest  had  Stephen  stoned  to  gratify  their 
religious  rage,  and  so  it  has  been  in  all  ages  of  Jewish 
and  Christian  churches  :  where  the  priests  had  power, 
they  have  not  only  gnashed  on  those  who  told  them 
the  truth,  but  they  have  persecuted  and  put  them  to 
death.  Having  now  lost  the  civil  power,  they  who  are 
zealous  in  the  antichristian  and  Babylonish  mysteries, 
can  only  gnash  with  their  teeth,  on  those  who  set  fire 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  109 

to  their  combustible  treasures.  The  author  of  these 
illustrations  has  just  witnessed  a  scene  of  this  nature, 
which  took  place  between  two  professed  ministers  of 
Jesus  Christ.  One  is  a  laborer  in  the  ministration  of 
life,  and  the  other  a  zealous  laborer  in  the  ministration  of 
death  and  endless,  unmerciful  punishment.  They 
meet  in  spiritual  warfare  ;  and  the  following  are  the 
circumstances  of  the  contest.  C,  the  minister  of  con- 
demnation, asked  B  the  minister  of  life,  if  he  were  not 
willing  to  allow  that  God  has  a  right  to  do  what  he 
will  with  his  own  ?  B  answered  in  the  affirmative, 
and  added,  that  he  believed  that  God  not  only  has  a 
right  to  do  what  he  will  with  his  own,  but  that  he  ac- 
tually will  perform  it.  To  this  C  also  agreed.  Thus 
far  these  two  watchmen  saw  eye  to  eye :  thus  far  they 
appeared  like  loving  brothers.  I  rejoiced  in  my  heart 
to  see  them  thus  agree,  and  began  to  cast  in  my  mind 
how  good  and  how  pleasant  it  is  for  brethren  to  dwell 
together  in  unity.  But  I  found  something  very  differ- 
ent to  attract  my  attention.  The  moment  B  called 
for  the  scripture  authority,  to  show  and  determine  what 
the  will  of  God  is  respecting  the  world  of  mankind,  C 
discovered  evident  tokens  of  embarrassment,  and  seemed 
rather  confused.  After  waiting  a  proper  time  for  C  to 
decide  the  question,  which  he  did  not  attempt  to  do,  B 
brought  the  testimony  to  the  purpose,  showing  from  St. 
Paul's  exhortation  to  Timothy,  that  God  ivill  have  all 
men  to  be  saved  and  to  come  unto  the  knowledge  of 
the  truth.  C  immediately  attempted  to  avoid  this  poin- 
ted weapon,  by  saying  that  the  word  all  might  not 
mean  the  whole.  B  still  directed  the  point  of  the 
weapon  to  its  object,  by  observing  that  as  the  apostle 
used  this  fact  to  prove  the  propriety  of  praying  for 
all  men,  it  was  plain  that  God  will  have  as  many  saved 
as  it  is  right  to  pray  for.  C  being  in  the  habit  of  pray- 
10 


110  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

ing  for  all  men  without  exception,  as  all  antichristian 
ministers  do,  merely  out  of  custom,  he  could  not  avoid 
a  wound  ;  but  on  receiving  it,  tacked  directly  about, 
and  suggested  that  the  word  will  might  not  mean  an 
effective  will,  so  as  to  insure  the  accomplishment  of  the 
fact  proposed.  But  here  was  no  place  of  safety  ;  for 
B  having  in  his  hand  a  sword  which  would  cut  one 
way  as  well  as  the  other,  did  not  fail  to  make  it  do  so, 
by  observing  that  this  will  must  be  absolute  enough  to 
render  it  proper  to  pray  for  all  without  exception ;  to 
which  C  could  do  no  less  than  accede.  Then  B  pre- 
sented this  unavoidable  conclusion  ;  if  the  will  of  God 
in  the  salvation  of  all  men,  be  absolute  enough  to  jus- 
tify our  praying  for  all  without  exception,  it  must  be 
absolute  enough  to  justify  our  believeing  for  all  without 
exception,  as  whatsoever  is  not  of  faith  is  sin.  By 
this  time  the  tinder  had  received  a  spark,  a  ray  of  light 
lit  on  the  hypocrisy  of  praying  for  the  salvation  of  those 
whom  he  contended  were  destined  for  endless  misery. 
C  was  all  agitation  and  manifested  the  real  spirit  of  the 
high  priests  who  gnashed  on  Stephen  writh  their  teeth, 
because  they  could  not  withstand  the  wisdom  of  his 
words.  There  is,  to  besure,  some  difference  in  out- 
ward circumstances,  between  the  Pharisees  of  ancient 
and  modern  times,  but  there  is  no  difference  of  doc- 
trine, spirit  or  temper. 

As  the  ancient  Pharisees  believed  that  God  had  no 
mercy  for  those  whom  they  called  wicked,  so  they  had 
no  mercy  themselves;  and  this  is  the  case,  and  has 
been,  in  all  ages  of  the  world.  And  as  it  is  the  nature 
of  truth  to  cast  out  darkness,  so  those,  whose  light  is 
darkness,  are  sorely  afflicted  when  the  true  light 
shines. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  Ill 


PARABLE  XIX. 

' Therefore  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven  likened  unto  a  certain  king,  which 
would  take  account  of  his  servants.  And  when  he  had  begun  to  reckon,  one 
was  brought  unto  him,  which  owed  him  ten  thousand  talents  :  but  forasmuch 
as  he  had  not  to  pay,  his  lord  commanded  him  to  be  sold,  and  his  wife  and 
children,  and  all  that  he  had, and  payment  to  be  made.  The  servant  there- 
fore fell  down,  and  worshipped  him,  saying, Lord  have  patience  with  me,  and 
I  will  pay  thee  all.  Then  the  lord  of  that  servant  was  moved  with  compas- 
sion, and  loosed  him,  and  forgave  him  the  debt.  But  the  same  servant  went 
out,  and  found  one  of  his  fellow  servants,  which  owed  him  an  hundred  pence, 
and  he  laid  hands  on  him,  and  took  him  by  the  throat,  saying,  Pay  me  that 
thou  owest.  And  his  fellow  servant  fell  down  at  his  feet,  and  besought  him, 
saying,  Have  patience  with  me,  and  I  will  pay  thee  all.  And  he  would  not  : 
but  went  and  cast  him  into  prison  till  he  should  pay  the  debt.  So  when  his 
rellow  servants  saw  what  was  done,  they  were  very  sorry,  and  came  and  told  un- 
to thai r  lord  all  that  was  done.  Then  his  lord,  after  that  he  had  called  him, 
said  unto  him,  O  thou  wicked  servant,  I  forgave  thee  all  that  debt,  because 
thou  desiredst  me  :  Shouldest  not  thou  also  have  had  compassion  on  thy  fel- 
low servant,  even  as  I  had  pity  on  thee  1  And  his  lord  was  wrotb 
and  delivered  him  to  the  tormentors,  till  he  should  pay  all  that  was  due  unto 
him.'— Matt,  xviii,  23—34. 

The  reader,  by  observing  the  conversation  between 
Christ  and  his  disciples  which  immediately  precedes 
this  parable,  will  learn  that  the  parable  was  intended 
to  enforce  the  necessity  of  forgiving  one  another. 
The  particulars  of  this  parable,  I  state  thus : 

1 .  The  great  debt  which  the  sinner  owes  by  reason 
of  transgression,  is  represented  by  a  servant's  owing 
his  lord  ten  thousand  talents. 

2.  The  impossibility  of  a  sinner's  atoning  for,  or 
purifying  himself  from  sin,  is  signified  by  the  servant's 
having  not  to  pay. 

3.  The  demand  for  vengeance  on  the  soul,  made  by 
the  law,  through  the  medium  of  a  defiled  and  guilty 
conscience,  is  meant  by  the  lord's  commanding  the 


112 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 


servant,  his  wife,  children,  and  all  that  he  had,  to  be 
sold,  and  payment  to  be  made. 

4.  A  humble  and  contrite  spirit,  and  its  fervent  sup- 
plication for  pardoning  mercy  and  divine  clemency,  is 
signified  by  the  servant's  falling  down  and  desiring  pa- 
tience, and  even  forgiveness  of  the  debt. 

5.  The  condescension  of  the  Father  of  all  mercies 
in  forgiving  a  repenting  sinner,  is  shown  by  the  lord's 
loosing  the  servant  and  letting  him  go,  having  forgiven 
him  the  debt. 

6.  The  accountability  in  which  men  stand  one  to 
another,  and  the  possibility  of  their  violating  the  trust 
in  which  they  are  placed,  is  shown  by  the  forgiven 
servant's  going  out  and  finding  one  of  his  fellow  ser- 
vants who  owed  him  an  hundred  pence. 

7.  Transgression  against  the  pure  principles  and 
dictates  of  that  grace  by  which  the  soul  is  made  free 
from  condemnation,  is  signified  by  the  unforgiving  tem- 
per of  mind  manifested  in  the  last  mentioned  creditor 
towards  his  fellow  servant. 

8.  The  sorrow  of  heart,  felt  by  the  true  disciples  of 
Christ,  at  beholding  such  a  violation  of  the  pure  prin- 
ciples of  Christianity,  is  meant  by  the  sorrow  of  the  fel- 
low servants. 

9.  That  christians  ought  to  lay  before  God  such  a 
fault,  by  the  spirit  of  humiliation  and  prayer,  rather 
than  to  fancy  themselves  arbiters  of  others'  offences, 
is  intended  by  those  fellow  servants  coming  and  tel- 
ling their  lord  of  the  disagreeable  circumstances  which 
had  happened. 

10.  That  those,  who  have  received  clear  manifesta- 
tions of  divine  mercy  in  the  forgiveness  of  sin,  ought, 
according  to  the  forgiveness  which  they  have  obtained, 
to  forgive   their  brethren  of  the  human   race  all  their 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  J  (3 

trespasses.  Showing  to  others  the  same  favor  which 
all  stand  in  infinite  need  of  receiving  from  God,  is 
shown  by  the  lord's  saying  to  the  forgiven,  but 
unforgiving  servant,  'Shouldest  not  thou  also  have  had 
compassion  on  thy  fellow  servant,  even  as  I  had  pity 
on  thee  ?' 

11.  That  God  will  call  to  an  account  and  severely 
chastise  his  children  who  wickedly  depart  from  the 
grace  which  they  have  received,  we  understand  by  the 
lord's  committing  the  undutiful  servant  to  the  tormen- 
tors. 

12.  That  although  in  mercy  we  may  obtain  pardon, 
or  forgiveness  of  the  awful  debt,  written  as  with  the 
pen  of  iron,  and  with  the  point  of  a  diamond  on  tablets 
of  our  guilty  hearts  ;  yet,  it  does  not  secure  us  from 
contracting  other  debts  ;  for,  it  is  made  evident  in  our 
text,  that  though  the  ten  thousand  talents  were  forgi- 
ven, and  the  servant  could  not  be  called  upon  therefor, 
the  debt  being  discharged ;  yet,  for  his  cruelty  to  his 
fellow  servant,  his  lord  committed  him  to  the  tormen- 
tors until  he  should  pay  all  that  was  due  to  him.  Now 
it  is  evident,  that  this  debt  is  new,  and  of  that  kind 
which  the  servant  could  pay,  which  is  simply  to  forgive 
his  fellow  servant.  And  it  ought  to  sink  deep  into 
our  minds,  that  our  heavenly  Father  will  do  by  us  all  as 
the  lord  did  by  his  servant,  if  we  do  not,  from  our 
hearts,  forgive  our  brethren  their  trespasses. 


ILLUSTRATION. 

Because  it  is  said  in  the  parable,  '  And  his  lord  was 
wroth,  and  delivered  him  to  the  tormentors,  till  he 
should  pay  all  that  was  due  unto  him,'  it  has  been  sup- 


10* 


114  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

posed  that  this  must  intend  never  ending  punishments  ; 
as  it  is  thought  that  the  servant  can  never  pay  what  is 
due.  If  this  be  the  true  meaning  of  the  text,  it  is  evi- 
dent that  the  disciples  of  Jesus  were  exposed  to  this 
never  ending  punishment ;  for  it  was  to  them  the  para- 
ble was  spoken,  and  it  was  to  them  that  Jesus  applied 
it,  saying,  'So  likewise  shall  my  heavenly  Father  do  also 
unto  you,  if  ye  from  your  hearts  forgive  not  every  one 
his  brother  their  trespasses.'  If  the  disciples  of  Jesus 
Christ  were  exposed  to  never  ending  punishment  for 
the  offence  of  an  unforgiving  moment,  it  may  be  just 
to  conclude  that  not  only  they,  but  every  individual  of 
the  human  race,  will  be  thus  punished,  as  it  is  not  rea- 
sonable to  suppose  that  any  are  clear  from  such  a  char- 
acter. All  have  sinned  and  come  short  of  the  glory 
of  God.  All  have  come  short  of  loving  their  neigh- 
bors as  themselves.  But  the  foregoing  parable  was 
evidently  designed  to  teach  real  christians  the  necessity 
of  the  exercise  of  the  spirit  of  forgiveness.  See  the 
introduction,  verse  21 ,  22 :  '  Then  came  Peter  to  him, 
and  said,  Lord,  how  oft  shall  my  brother  sin  against  me, 
and  I  forgive  him  ?  till  seven  times  ?  Jesus  saith  unto 
him,  I  say  not  unto  thee,  until  seven  times,  but  until 
seventy  times  seven.'  Then  Jesus  introduces  the  par- 
able, with  reference  to  what  he  had  told  Peter,  say- 
ing, 'Therefore  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven  likened,' 
&c.  This  christian  duty  is  urged  by  St  Paul,  Eph. 
iv,  31,  32  :  '  Let  all  bitterness,  and  wrath,  and  anger, 
and  clamor,  and  evil  speaking,  be  put  away  from  you, 
with  all  malice  :  and  be  ye  kind  one  to  another,  ten- 
der hearted,  forgiving  one  another,  even  as  God  for 
Christ's  sake  hath  forgiven  you.'  Such  is  the  imper- 
fection of  our  present  state,  and  such  are  the  various 
circumstances  to  which   we  are  incident,  that  so  far 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  115 

From  feeling  himself  secure  from  sin,  the  christian 
ought  to  be  continually  guarded  on  every  side.  So 
far  are  the  knowledge  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  and 
the  faith  and  hope  which  the  gospel  inspires,  from 
taking  away  our  moral  obligations,  or  lessening  our 
duty,  that  these  are  extended  and  multiplied  in  the 
same  ratio  as  the  mind  is  enlarged.  The  general  sen- 
timent of  divines,  that  believers  in  Christ  can  sin  with 
less  expence  to  themselves  than  unbelievers,  is  un- 
scriptural  as  well  as  unreasonable.  It  may  be  proper 
to  ask,  if  the  belief  of  the  gospel  removes  any  moral 
duty  or  obligation  to  which  a  man  feels  himself  holden 
before  he  is  a  believer  in  the  gospel?  The  answer 
must  be  in  the  negative.  Is  it  not  a  fact,  that  the 
knowledge  of  the  grace  of  God,  which  bringeth  salva- 
tion to  the  soul,  gives  the  believer  new  lessons  in  mo- 
rality, which  are  more  extensive  and  sublime  than  those 
which  he  had  learned  before  ?  This  question  must 
undoubtedly  be  answered  in  the  affirmative.  Then 
surely  the  words  of  our  Lord  will  well  apply  in  this 
case  :  See  St.  Luke  xii,  47, 48  : ( And  that  servant  which 
knew  his  Lord's  will,  and  prepared  not  himself,  neither 
did  according  to  his  will,  shall  be  beaten  with  many 
stripes.  But  he  that  knew  not,  and  did  commit  things 
worthy  of  stripes,  shall  be  beaten  with  few  stripes. 
For  unto  whomsoever  much  is  given,  of  him  shall 
be  much  required  ;  and  to  whom  men  have  commit- 
ted much,  of  him  they  will  ask  the  more.'  If  there 
be  more  committed  to  the  believer  than  there  is  to 
the  unbeliever,  then  certainly  more  is  required,  and 
greater  is  the  punishment  in  case  of  disobedience. 
But  the  general  opinion  maintained  by  the  schools,  is 
that  the  sins  of  the  unbeliever  are  of  such  a  nature 
as  to  render  it  just  that  he  should  be  punished  eter- 


116  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

nally,  while  there  is  no  danger  of  the  believer  in  this 
respect,  though  he  commit  much  greater  crimes  than 
the  unbeliever.  On  the  one  hand,  we  have  the  wis- 
dom of  God,  and  on  the  other  hand,  wTe  have  the  wis- 
dom, I  was  just  going  to  say,  of  man :  but  the  text 
says,  •  To  whom  men  have  committed  much,  of  him 
they  will  ask  the  more.'  As  I  cannot  say,  the  wisdom 
of  man,  I  will  leave  the  reader  to  say.  See  Titus  ii, 
11,  12:  '  For  the  grace  of  God  that  bringeth  salvation 
to  all  men,  hath  appeared,  teaching  us,  that  denying 
ungodliness  and  worldly  lusts,  we  should  live  soberly, 
righteously  and  godly  in  this  present  world.'  Now 
if  the  grace  of  God  teaches  thus,  is  it  not  supposable 
that  we  do  not  have  this  teaching  unless  we  are  taught 
it  by  this  grace?  And  if  so,  then  by  this  teaching 
more  duty  is  made  known,  more  is  required,  and 
greater  is  the  punishment  in  case  of  disobedience. 

Perhaps  some  inquiring  mind  may  wish  to  ask,  in 
this  place,  whether  the  grace  of  God,  in  extending 
our  knowledge,  by  its  teaching,  and  consequently 
our  duty,  is  a  blessing  on  the  whole  ?  To  this  it  may 
be  proper  to  reply,  that  as  all  rational  happiness  con- 
sists with  a  proper  and  just  exercise  of  those  abilities 
and  graces  which  our  heavenly  Father  has  mercifully 
bestowed  on  us,  the  higher  we  rise,  and  the  broader 
we  extend  in  the  knowledge  of  moral  holiness,  right- 
eousness and  truth,  the  more  happy  we  are  capable 
of  being,  while  disposed  to  do  our  Master's  will. 

That  man  who,  while  he  professes  to  glory  in  the 
goodness  of  God  to  him,  and  to  rejoice  that  he  lias 
obtained  a  pardon  of-  his  sins  for  Christ's  sake ;  and 
at  the  same  time  condemns  his  neighbor,  especially 
if  he  condemns  him  to  endless  misery,  is  the  character 
to  which  the  above  parable  justly  applies.     In  such 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  117 

an  one,  where  is  that  meek  and  quiet  spirit  which,  in 
the  sight  of  God,  is  an  ornament  of  great  price? 
Where  is  that  divine  charity  which  never  faileth  ? 
Where  is  that  faith  which  works  by  love  and  purifies 
the  heart  ?  Where  is  that  hope  which  maketh  not 
ashamed,  because  the  love  of  God  is  shed  abroad  in 
the  heart  ? 

Christian  reader,  our  blessed  Redeemer  has  mani- 
fested in  his  life,  delineated  in  his  preaching,  and  re- 
quired in  his  commands,  that  duty  which  comports 
with  his  doctrine  of  divine  mercy.  He  came  into 
the  world  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost  ? 
God  sent  not  his  son  into  the  world  to  condemn  the 
world,  but  that  the  world  through  him  might  be 
saved.  God  commended  his  love  towards  us,  in  that, 
while  we  were  sinners  Christ  died  for  us.  God  re- 
quired no  condition  of  the  creature,  in  relation  to  the 
above  grace  ;  man  did  not  even  ask  God  to  make  the 
promise  of  the  saviour,  nor  did  God  promise  this  gift  on 
conditions.  This  gift  is  the  foundation  of  our  salva- 
tion, and  this  foundation  is  universal.  There  is  no 
exception ;  the  Jew  and  the  Gentile  are  here  alike 
embraced.  The  one  Mediator  gave  himself  a  ransom 
for  all ;  he  tasted  death  for  every  man  ;  he  was  deliv- 
ered for  our  offences,  and  rose  again  for  our  justifi- 
cation. Thus  God  has  manifested  pardon,  forgiveness, 
and  justification  of  all  men,  to  those  who  know  the 
truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  Here  then  is  the  proper 
ground  on  which  the  believer  ought  to  forgive  his 
fellow  servant,  as  his  lord  has  forgiven  him.  If  con- 
trary to  the  above  argument,  God  had  revealed,  through 
Christ,  that  but  a  small  part  of  the  human  race  was 
embraced  in  the  dispensation  of  mercy,  and  that  but  a 
few  were  justified  in  Christ,  through  the  redemption 


118  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

of  his  blood,  then,  that  the  character  of  the  believer 
might  be  like  that  of  his  master,  he  must  extend  for- 
giveness in  the  same  limited  circle.  And  though  he 
obtain  forgiveness  of  his  many  sins,  even  of  ten  thou- 
sand  talents,  yet  if  he  find  one  of  his  fellow  servants 
who  owes  him  but  an  hundred  pence,  why  should 
he  forgive  him,  if  he  does  not  believe  him  to  be  a 
subject  of  divine  pardon  ?  If  he  believe  this  his  fellow 
servant  to  be  an  object  of  eternal  vengeance,  and 
doomed  to  endless  torments,  would  it  not  be  a  light 
thing  if  he  should  take  him  by  the  throat,  saying,  pay 
me  that  thou  owest  ?  Surely,  God  does  not  require 
us  to  be  more  merciful  than  himself;  and  as  a  general 
thing,  it  may  be  remarked,  that  religious  people  copy 
the  character  which  they  attribute  to  God.  The  in- 
quisition of  the  papists,  was  significant  of  their  views 
of  divinity ;  and  every  order  of  professing  christians 
have  something  by  which  it  is  easy  to  determine  the 
character  of  their  deity.  That  unforgiving  spirit  which 
people  attribute  to  the  divine  being,  they  will,  gener- 
ally, more  or  less,  justify  in  themselves.  But  the 
consequences  they  cannot  avoid :  to  the  tormentors 
they  must  be  delivered,  until  they  are  willing  to  forgive 
their  fellow  servants.  Just  as  much  want  of  forgive- 
ness as  any  soul  possesses,  just  as  much  torment  it 
must  feel ;  and  it  must  continue  to  feel  the  same,  until 
it  ceases  to  possess  this  unforgiving  spirit. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  119 


PARABLE   XX. 

'For  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  man  that  is  an  house-holder, 
which  went  out  early  in  the  morning  to  hire  laborers  into  hi?  vineyard. 
And  when  he  had  agreed  with  the  laborers  for  a  penny  a  day,  he  sent  them 
into  his  vineyard.  And  he  went  out  about  the  third  hour,  and  saw  others 
standing  idle  in  the  market  place,  and  said  unto  them,  Go  ye  also  into  the 
vineyard,  and  whatsoever  is  right  I  will  give  you.  And  they  went  their 
way.  Again  he  went  out  about  the  sixth  and  ninth  hour,  and  did  likewise. 
And  about  the  eleventh  hour  he  went  out,  and  found  others  standing  idle,  and 
saith  unto  them,  why  stand  ye  here  all  the  day  idle  1  They  say  unto  him, 
Because  no  man  hath  hired  us.  He  saith  unto  them,  Go  ye  also  into  the 
vineyard,  and  whatsoever  is  right,  that  shall  ye  receive.  So  when  even  was, 
come,  the  lord  oi  the  vineyard  saith  unto  his  steward,  call  the  laborers,  and 
give  them  their  hire,  beginning  with  the  last  unto  the  first.  And  when  they 
came  that  were  hired  about  the  eleventh  hour,  they  received  every  man  a 
penny.  But  when  the  first  came,  they  supposed  that  they  should  have  receiv- 
ed more;  and  they  likewise  received  every  man  a  penny.  And  when  they 
had  received  it,  they  murmured  against  the  good  man  of  the  house,  saying, 
These  last  have  wrought  but  one  hour,  and  thou  hast  made  them  equal  unto 
us,  which  have  borne  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day.  But  he  answered  one 
of  them,  and  said,  Friend,  I  do  thee  no  wrong  :  didst  not  thou  agree  with  me 
for  a  penny  1  Take  that  thine  is,  and  go  thy  way  :  I  will  give  unto  this  last, 
even  unto  thee.  Is  it  not  lawful  for  me  to  do  what  I  will  with  mine  own  1  is 
thine  eye  evil  because  I  am  good  1  So  the  last  shall  be  first  and  the  first  last : 
for  many  be  called  but  few  chosen.' — Matt,  xx,  1 — 16. 

This  parable  contains  the  meaning  of  the  words  of 
Christ  in  the  close  of  the  former  chapter,  where  he 
saith,  c  But  many  that  are  first  shall  be  last,  and  the 
last  shall  be  first.' 

1.  The  Pharisees  are  represented  by  the  laborers 
who  were  first  hired,  who  bore  the  burden  and  heat 
of  the  day. 

2.  The  disciples  of  Christ,  who  were  called  by  his 


120  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

grace  from  among  the  publicans  and  sinners,  are  in- 
tended by  those  who  were  sent,  or  invited,  into  the 
vineyard  at  the  eleventh  hour. 

3.  God's  divine  purpose  in  making  mankind  equal, 
is  intended  by  the  householder's  paying  the  laborers 
all  alike  the  same  sum. 

4.  The  great  objection  which  the  Pharisees  held 
against  Christ  and  his  doctrine  being,  that  he  preached 
the  same  favor,  life  and  salvation  to  those  whom 
they  despised  for  their  wickedness,  and  on  whom, 
they  looked  with  utter  contempt  for  their  vileness, 
as  to  themselves  who  were  so  holy  in  their  own  esteem, 
as  to  thank  God  that  they  were  not  like  other  men,  is 
meant  by  the  laborers  murmuring  at  the  good  man 
of  the  house,  saying,  '  These  last  have  wrought  but 
one  hour,  and  thou  hast  made  them  equal  unto  us, 
who  have  borne  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day.' 

5.  That  publicans  and  harlots  should  enter  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  before  the  scribes  and  Pharisees 
is  shown  by  their  receiving  their  money  first  who  were 
hired  last ;  which  answers  to  the  saying  alluded  to, 
*  the  last  shall  be  first.' 

6.  That  the  Pharisees  would  finally  be  accepted,  is 
seen  in  that  those  also  who  were  first  hired  received 
their  penny  last ;  which  answers  to  the  saying  allu- 
ded to, '  the  first  shall  be  last.' 

7.  That  the  Pharisees  had  no  reason  to  find  fault 
at  the  salvation  of  those  whom  they  called  sinners 
above  themselves,  is  meant  by  the  householder's  saying 
to  those  who  murmured, '  Friend,  I  do  thee  no  wrong.' 

8.  That  the  evil  and  jealous  eye  with  which  the 
selfrighteous  look  on  the  gospel  salvation  of  sinners 
is  wounded  with  nothing  but  its  divine  goodness,  is 
shown  by  the  question  asked,  '  Is  thine  eye  evil  because 
I  am  good  ?  ' 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  121 

9.  Of  those  who  object  to  the  justice  of  the  salva^ 
tion  of  the  ignorant,  and  those  who  are  out  of  the  way, 
the  question  is  asked ;  *  Is  it  not  lawful  for  me  to  do 
what  I  will  with  mine  own  ?' 

The  opinion  cf  some,  which  we  acknowledge  appears  plausible,  that  this 
parable  of  the  laborers  specially  regarded  diose  disciples  of  Jesus,  who  first 
entered  into  his  service,  and  those  who  were  later  converted  to  his  doctrine, 
and  labor  in  his  cause,  seems  not  well  to  agree  with  the  words  of  the  Savior 
with  which  he  closes  the  parable.  So  the  last  shall  be  first  and  the  first  last  : 
for  many  be  called  but  few  chosen.  As  it  is  evident  that  Jesus  chose  those 
whom  he  first  called  into  the  vineyard  of  his  gospel,  it  seems  unwarrantable  60 
to  apply  the  last  words  of  the  parable  as  to  mean  that  although  they  were 
called  they  were  not  chosen. 

The  mistake  to  which  we  here  allude  no  doubt  owes  its  origin  to  the 
conjunction  but,  found  in  the  last  verse  of  the  xix  of  Matt.  'But  many  that 
'.;re  fir^t  shall  be  last,  and  the  last  shall  be  first . '  In  the  preceding  context 
.1  sus  informs  his  disciples  that  they  and  all  others  who  had  forsaken  houses, 
or  brethren, or  sisters,  or  fathers,  or  mothers,  or  wife,  or  children,  or  lands,  for 
his  name's  sake,  should  receive  an  hundred  fold,  and  should  inherit  everlas- 
ting life  ;  and  then  said,  as  reads  the  translation,  'But  many  that  are  first 
shall  be  last,  and  die  last  shall  be  first.'  This  conjunction  but  seems  to  indi- 
cate that  those  who  were  first  who  should  be  last,  and  those  who  were  last 
who  should  be  first,  were  all  included  in  the  company  before  designated  as 
having  forsaken  all  for  the  name  of  Jesus.  But  by  turning  to  the  pass?ge  in 
the  Greek  testament,  we  find  that  the  conjunction  (De)  which  is  rendered 
but,  may,  and  undoubtedly  ought  to  be  rendered  for ;  by  which  rendering 
the  parable,  which  immediately  follows  the  verse  where  it  occurs,  is  easily 
understood  in  agreement  with  the  foregoing  notes,  and  also  with  many  other 
s' passages  which  relate  to  the  failure  of  the  Pharisees  to  obtain,  by  their  rituals, 
what  the  diseiples  of  Jesus  obtained  by  divine  favor. 


ILLUSTRATION. 

The  reader  has  already  noticed  in  a  digression,  un- 
der a  former  parable,  something  on  the  divine  authori- 
ty of  the  scriptures,  drawn  from  the  blindness  of  the 
Jews,  which  was  used  as  a  means  to  convert  the  Gen- 
tiles to  the  gospel ;  and  also  from  the  apostacy  of  the 
christian  church,  which  will  be  a  means  of  the  conver- 
11 


122  NOTES    ON    THE    PAKABL.ES. 

sion  of  the  Jews.  This  argument,which  was  inserted 
by  way  of  digression,  properly  belongs  to  the  illustra- 
tion of  the  present  subject.  The  reader  is  therefore 
referred  to  the  illustration  of  parable  vi,  page  41, 
where  this  parable  is  illustrated  as  applying  in  a  na- 
tional sense.  But  it  is  well  to  notice  that  a  parable, 
the  primary  meaning  of  which,  may  regard  a  nation, 
or  a  dispensation,  may  very  justly  be  applied  to  minor 
sections  of  mankind,  to  minor  events  than  the  dispen- 
sation of  law,  or  gospel,  taken  in  their  largest  sense, 
and  even  to  individuals.  The  reasonableness  of  thus 
varying  the  application  of  parables,  is  in  the  corres- 
pondence that  there  is  between  great  and  small  events, 
as  we  reckon  them,  between  large  and  small  commu- 
nities, or  between  an  individual  and  many. 

As  the  great  end  of  all  parables  is  to  convey  the 
truth,  in  a  profitable  manner,  to  the  mind,  the  parables 
ought  to  be  applied  to  individuals  as  far  as  they  will 
bear,  that  every  one  may  the  better  receive  benefit 
from  what  is  communicated.  For  instance,  there  is  a 
striking  correspondence  between  the  character  which 
the  Jewish  church  possessed,  when  the  Saviour  was  in 
the  flesh,  and  the  character  which  the  christian  church, 
in  general,  has  exhibited  for  many  centuries  past.  Of 
course,  a  parable  which  answers  to  the  former  charac- 
ter, will  in  many  instances,  apply  to  the  latter.  Like- 
wise, as  there  is  a  resemblance  between  those  two 
churches,  so  there  is  between  individuals  belonging  to 
them.  The  Pharisee  who  went  into  the  temple  to 
pray,  who  thanked  God  that  he  was  not  like  other 
men,  especially  a  publican  on  whom  he  had  his  eye, 
and  who,  he  conceived,  was  mucli  more  wicked  than 
himself,  is  as  perfect  a  resemblance  of  a  superstitious 
christian,  who  thanks  God  that  he  is  not  wicked  like 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  123 

his  neighbor,  whom  he  supposes  is  reprobated  to  end- 
less misery,  as  face  answers  to  face  in  water. 

The  general  tenor  of  this  parable  being  to  show  the 
impartiality  of  the  divine  economy,  and  the  riches  of 
God's  goodness  in  making  his  favor  to  be  equally  ad- 
ministered, is  an  important  and  well  directed  argu- 
ment against  the  partial  views  which  men  entertain  of 
the  divine  goodness  ;  while  it  also  holds  up  to  view 
the  odiousness  of  that  spirit  of  envy  which  is  ever 
wounded  at  the  happiness  of  others.  Perhaps  envy 
may  justly  be  called  the  gall  of  bitterness  and  the  bond 
of  iniquity  ;  it  is  the  most  acid  fruit  that  grows  on  the 
stock  of  sin,  a  fluid  so  subtle  that  nothing  but  the  fire 
of  divine  love  can  purge  it  from  the  soul.  Notwith- 
standing the  wants  and  necessities  of  those  who  came 
into  the  vineyard  at  the  eleventh  hour  were  equal  to 
theirs  who  entered  in  the  morning,  yet  it  would  have 
been  more  pleasing  to  the  envious  spirit  of  the  latter, 
to  have  had  the  former  dismissed  with  nothing,  or 
next  to  nothing,  than  to  have  them  receive  as  much  as 
they.  The  three  main  branches  of  this  envy  are  the 
following:  1.  It  views  its  own  works  of  righteousness 
immensely  meritorious,  and  expects  great  reward.  2. 
It  can  see  little,  or  nothing,  in  another,  but  occasion 
of' censure  and  blame,  and  calculates  on  the  great  dif- 
ference which  must  in  justice  be  made  between  itself 
and  another.  3.  It  is  ever  murmuring  at  divine  good- 
ness, because  the  undeserving  receive  as  much  as  the 
most  worthy. 

These  are  the  reasons  which  rendered  the  gospel 
of  Christ  so  offensive  to  the  Pharisees  of  old;  and 
these  are  the  reasons  why  christian  Pharisees  have  so 
modified  the  gospel,  that  it  now  perfectly  suits  their 
spirit,  except  in  the  case  of  waiting  until  hereafter  for 


124  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

the  distinction  to  be  made.  In  this  world,  we  find 
God  to  be  good  unto  all ;  we  find  that  his  tender 
mercies  are  over  all  his  works ;  we  find  him  doing 
what  the  blessed  Jesus  taught  his  disciples  to  imitate, 
sending  his  rain  on  the  just  and  on  the  unjust,  and 
causing  his  sun  to  shine  upon  the  evil  and  the  good. 
What  then  has  the  envious  spirit  of  the  Pharisee  got 
to  feed  upon  ?  Answer :  Its  glorious  prospects  in  an- 
ticipating a  difference  in  the  world  to  come,  which 
will  comport  with  a  just  retribution.  Says  the  Phari- 
see, is  not  God  a  God  of  justice  ?  Will  he  not  reward 
his  creatures  according  to  their  works  ?  Yes,  Phari- 
see, God  is  a  God  of  justice,  and  therefore  he  '  will 
give  unto  this  last  even  as  unto  thee  : '  Perfectly  just, 
and  therefore  '  the  last  shall  be  first  and  the  first  last :' 
Just  and  equal  in  all  things,  and  therefore,  '  publi- 
cans and  harlots  go  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven  before 
you.' 

If  we  may  indulge  the  thoughts  of  the  mind  a  mo- 
ment, let  us  contemplate  the  vast  diversity  of  labor- 
ers who  are  making  great  calculations  on  the  high  ap- 
probation they  are  to  receive  in  the  world  to  come, 
above  others.  Jews,  Pagans,  Mahometans,  Christians 
of  a  vast  many  denominations,  all  right  in  their  own 
eyes,  all  expect  the  preference.  So  sure  are  they  of 
this,  that  they  already  sing  their  songs  of  joy  in  antici- 
pating their  own  exaltation  over  their  neighbors,  are 
daily  breathing  out  everlasting  vengeance  against  one 
another,  turning  their  envious  eyes  towards  heaven  to 
secure  a  verdict  in  their  favor.  So  they  go  on  chal- 
lenging each  other  to  meet  at  the  tribunal  of  heaven, 
exulting  in  anticipating  the  distinctions  which  will 
there  be  made,  to  their  everlasting  joy,  and  to  the 
eternal  confusion  and  torment  of  each  other.     The 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  125 

long  looked  for  day  conies,  and  all  are  summoned  to 
judgment.  With  anxious  expectation  they  wait,  each 
expecting  to  receive  the  approbation  of  the  judge,  each 
expecting  that  all  the  rest  must  receive  one  everlasting 
frown,  and  kel  the  arrows  of  condemnation  forever  fas- 
tened in  their  hearts  of  fruitless  sorrow.  From  the 
throne,  now  veiled  in  thick  darkness,  is  heard  a  voice 
calling  to  the  angel  of  the  first  covenant,  first  to  read 
the  characters  of  this  vast  multitude,  and  then  pro- 
nounce the  sentence  of  law ;  The  angel  reads,  All 
have  sinned  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God ! 
There  is  none  that  under standeth,  there  is  none  that 
seeketh  after  God.  They  are  all  gone  out  of  the 
way,  they  are  together  become  unprofitable ;  there  is 
none  that  doeth  good,  no,  not  one.  Their  throat  is 
an  open  sepulchre;  with  their  tongues  they  have 
used  deceit ;  the  poison  of  asps  is  under  their  lips; 
whose  mouth  is  full  of  cursing  and  bitterness;  their 
feet  are  swift  to  shed  blood;  destruction  and  misery 
are  in  their  ways  ;  and  the  way  of  peace  have  they 
not  known;  there  is  no  fear  of  God  before  their 
eyes.  Whatsoever  things  the  law  saith,  it  saith  to 
them  who  are  under  the  law  ;  that  every  mouth  may 
be  stopped,  and  all  the  world  may  become  guilty  be- 
fore God !  As  if  a  seraph,  on  wings  of  lightning, 
passing  through  the  immense  hosts  sealed  every  lip, 
all  is  profound  silence.  Now  is  the  time  for  men  to 
think  :  heretofore  they  talked.  Let  us  just  notice  the 
thoughts  of  some  in  particular.  Here  stands  in  the 
front  of  all,  those  whose  labors  have  been  in  the  minis- 
try, from  the  highest  prelate  down  to  the  lay  preacher. 
Not  one  opens  his  mouth  ;  but  all  reflect  and  query 
as  follows.  The  learned,  the  reverend  doctor  of  divin- 
ity queries  within  himself,  How  does  that  reading, 
11* 


126  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

which  I  heard  from  the  mouth  of  the  angel  of  the  first 
covenant,  apply  to  me  ?  Has  my  mouth  been  full  of 
cursing  and  bitterness  ?  Surely  I  have  cursed  none 
but  reprobates,  I  have  cursed  none  but  the  ungodly 
sinner ;  this  I  did  with  a  zeal,  but  I  thought  it  was  a 
holy  zeal.  With  my  tongue  did  I  ever  use  deceit  ? 
Only  when  I  thought  it  would  benefit  my  church,  or 
the  order  in  general  to  which  I  was  attached.  In 
such  cases,  besure,  [I  have  misrepresented  other  de- 
nominations whom  I  viewed  as  heretics.  But  now 
rises  the  great  question :  Did  I  love  my  neighbors,  in 
these  instances,  as  I  did  myself?  O  that  I  could 
hide  my  heart !  But  here  it  is  all  spread  open.  Had 
I  loved  them  thus,  I  should  as  soon  have  cursed  my- 
self. 

Here  are  popes,  cardinals  and  bishops,  pondering 
on  the  anathemas  pronounced  by  them  against  their 
brethren  of  different  orders.  These  words,  their  feet 
are  swift  to  shed  blood,  sound  dreadfully  in  their 
ears  !  Nor  is  there  one  of  this  whole  multitude  who 
can  open  his  mouth  to  accuse  his  neighbor,  not  one  to 
thank  God  that  he  is  not  like  other  men.  These 
words,  all  have  sinned,  are  responded  by  every  heart 
in  the  following  language,  Father  I  have  sinned 
against  heaven  and  in  thy  sight,  and  am  no  more 
worthy  to  be  called  thy  son.  A  voice,  the  second 
time,  from  the  throne,  orders  the  angel  of  the  first 
covenant  to  read  the  sentence  of  the  law  on  the  trans- 
gressors. He  reads,  Cursed  is  every  one  who  contin- 
ued not  in  all  things  written  in  the  book  of  the  law 
to  do  them !  A  trembling  seizes  every  guilty  heart, 
and  one  desire  now  breathes  forth  from  every  soul : 
God   be  merciful   to  mc   a   sinner!     A   gladdening 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  127 

voice  is  now  heard  to  say,  /  am  he  that  liveth,  and 
was  dead;  and  behold  lam  alive  for  ever  more,  amen: 
and  have  the  keys  of  hell  and  of  death ;  I  gave  my- 
self a  ransom  for  all ;  I  was  delivered  for  their  of- 
fences, and  rose  again  for  their  justification;  I  bore 
their  iniquities,  and  by  my  stripes  they  shall  be 
healed ;  I  will  now  finish  sin,  now  shall  there  be 
an  end  of  transgression ;  now  will  I  see  of  the  tra- 
vail of  my  soul  and  be  satisfied.  A  bleeding  Lamb 
is  seen  in  the  midst  of  the  throne  and  of  the  four 
beasts,  from  which  there  proceeds  a  river  of  blood, 
which  deluges  all  the  mighty  hosts.  Then  is  there  a 
voice  heard,  saying,  These  are  they  who  came  out  of 
great  tribulation,  and  have  washed  their  robes  and 
made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  And 
every  creature  which  is  in  heaven,  and  on  the  earth, 
and  under  the  earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the  sea,  and 
all  that  are  in  them,  heard  I  saying,  Blessing,  and 
honor,  and  glory,  and  power,  be  unto  him  that  sitteth 
upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb  forever  and 
ever. 

If  in  the  foregoing  remarks,  the  reader  should  meet 
with  any  just  admonitions  against  the  indulgence  of 
envy,  cursing  and  bitterness,  which  are  so  contrary  to 
the  pure  religion  of  Christ,  it  is  hoped  that  profit  may 
be  obtained  to  the  furtherance  of  the  christian  chari- 
ties, which  forbid  our  judging  or  condemning  one 
another ;  and  above  all,  they  forbid  our  feeling  envi- 
ous at  the  prosperity  or  happiness  of  our  fellow-crea- 
tures. 

How  vain  is  that  self-confidence,  by  which  a  worm 
of  the  dust  is  moved  to  claim  higher  favors  of  his  Ma- 
ker than  he  is  willing  should  be  bestowed  on  others  ! 
This  vanitv,  incorporated  into  what  passes  in  the  world 


Ji8  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

for  religion,  has  spread  its  poison  through  all  the  vitals 
of  the  church,  and  its  doctrines  are  become  as  the 
blood  of  a  dead  man. 


PARABLE   XXI. 

•  But  what  think  ye  1  A  certain  man  had  two  sons  ;  and  he  came  to  the 
first,  and  said,  Son,  go  to  work  to-day  in  my  vineyard.  He  answered  and 
said,  I  will  not;  but  afterwards  he  repented,  and  went.  And  he  came  to 
the  second,  and  said  likewise.  And  he  answered  and  said,  I  go,  sir;  and 
went  not.  Whether  of  them  twain  did  the  will  of  his  father  1  They  say 
unto  him,  The  first.  Jesus  saith  unto  them,  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  that 
the  publicans  and  the  harlots  go  into  the  kingdom  of  God  before  you.' — Matt, 
xxi.  28,  29,  30,  31. 

The  reader  will  easily  discover  a  similarity  between 
this  parable  and  the  former. 

1 .  Publicans  and  harlots  are  intended  by  the  first  son , 
who  first  said  that,  he  would  not  go,  when  he  was 
commanded,  but.  repented,  and  went. 

2.  The  Scribes  and  Pharisees  are  intended  by  the 
son  who  professed  to  go  according  to  the  command- 
ment, but  went  not. 

3.  Christ  reduces  the  Pharisees  to  the  necessity  of 
giving  judgment  against  themselves,  by  asking  them, 
<  Whether  of  the  twain  did  the  will  of  his  father  ? '  To 
which  they  answered,  '  the  first.' 

4.  Christ  then  applies  the  parable  to  his  meaning, 
saying,  '  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  that  the  publicans 
and  the  harlots  go  into  the  kingdom  of  God  before 
you.'  * 

5.  As  it  was  shown  in  the  former  parable  that  the 
scribes  and  Pharisees  would  at  last  be  accepted,  by  the 
murmuring  servants  receiving  as  much  as  others,  so 
here  the  same  idea  is  also  conveyed  ;  for  it  could  not 


NOTES    ON    THE    PAYABLES.  129 

be  well  said,  that  the  publicans  and  the  harlots 
should  go  into  the  kingdom  of  God  before  the  scribes 
and  the  Pharisees,  providing  these  were  not  to  enter 
after  them. 


ILLUSTRATION. 

The  propriety  of  accommodating  this  parable  to 
various  circumstances  of  the  like  nature  of  the  one  to 
which  the  Saviour  applied  it,  is  evident,  because  the 
same  similitude  would  be  as  proper  to  be  used  now,  as 
when  Christ  was  upon  earth.  A  son  who  should  re- 
fuse in  the  first  instance,  obedience  to  his  fathers 
commands,  but  should  afterwards  repent  and  obey,  in 
our  day,  would  be  preferred  to  one,  who  should  con- 
sent to  the  commands,  in  the  first  instance,  but  should 
afterwards  refuse ;  and  with  as  much  propriety  as  in 
the  days  of  Christ.  So  also,  in  the  present  day,  those 
who  sustain  a  character  similar  to  those  to  whom  the 
question  in  this  parable  was  put,  may  be  justly  compar- 
ed to  the  son  who  went  directly  contrary  to  his  pro- 
fession ;  while  others  who  are  now  more  particularly  in 
the  situation  of  publicans  and  sinners,  may  be  prefer- 
red to  the  former,  as  the  penitent  son  was  to  his  broth- 
er. 

The  characters  to  whom  the  Saviour  put  the  query, 
in  the  parable,  are  spoken  of  in  the  23d  verse,  '  And 
when  he  was  come  into  the  temple,  the  chief  priests 
and  elders  of  the  people  came  unto  him  as  he  was 
teaching,  and  said,  By  what  authority  doest  thou 
these  things  ?  and  who  gave  thee  this  authority  ?  These 
chief  priests  and  elders  of  the  people  were  those  to 
whom  the  Saviour  spoke,  and  they  were  those  whom 


130  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

he  represented  as  going  directly  contrary  to  their  pro- 
fession. They  professed  to  know  and  to  do  the  com- 
mandments of  God,  and  yet  they  paid  all  their  atten- 
tion to  bring  God's  commands  to  bend  to  their  vain 
and  abominable  notions  and  wicked  traditions,  by  which 
they  made  the  law  void. 

As  nothing  takes  place  without  a  cause  to  produce 
it,  we  may  suppose  that  there  was  a  cause  which  pro- 
duced the  circumstance  here  noticed.  Nor  is  it  more 
difficult  to  determine  the  reasons  why  those  chief 
priests  and  elders  of  the  Jews  were  in  such  a  situation, 
than  it  is  to  see  why  many  religious  people  are  now 
in  the  same.  The  pure  religion  of  God,  whether 
commended  to  man  in  a  dispensation  of  a  law  of  com- 
mandments, a  law  of  ceremonies,  or  in  the  still  more 
luminous  dispensation  of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  is  in  all 
ages  and  dispensations  the  same.  Supreme  love  to 
God,  and  a  love  for  fellow  men  equal  to  that  which 
man  has  for  himself,  was  all  which  the  law  required  or 
the  prophets  taught.  This  love  to  God  and  mankind 
is  the  divine  sanctity  prefigured  by  the  shadows  of  the 
Levitical  priesthood,  and  is  gloriously  manifested  as 
the  spirit  of  the  gospel  of  our  salvation.  To  this  reli- 
gion the  carnal  mind  is  enmity,  and  its  methods  of 
warfare  are  as  uniform  as  the  enmity  itself.  Here  let 
us  raise  an  important  query,  which,  if  answered  cor- 
rectly, will  serve  to  illuminate  our  subject.  1.  Have 
not  religious  people,  in  all  ages  of  the  world,  profess- 
ed a  love  and  friendship  for  God  ?  Answer,  yes.  2. 
Have  they  not  professed  a  love  and  regard  towards 
their  fellow  men  ?  Answer,  yes.  3.  How  do  these  pro- 
fessions consist  with  their  standing  in  the  character  of 
the  son  who  said  he  would  g6,  and  did  not  ?  Or  how 
does  it  happen  that  the  carnal  mind,  which  is  enmity 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  131 

against  God,  should  make  the  above  professions  ?     Re- 
ply: as  the  carnal  mind  can  never  love  a  character  which 
is  contrary  to  itself,  it  always  reduces  the  character  of 
the  divine  Being  to  a  correspondence  with  itself,  be- 
fore it  can  exercise  any  love  towards  it.     When  a  god 
is  formed  in  the  imagination,  which  comports  with  the 
desires  of  the  carnal  mind,  then  carnal  mindedness  is 
the  true  religion  of  such  a  God.     This  religion  when 
brought  into  operation,  acts  like  the  carnal  mind,  in 
direct  opposition  to  the  divine  law  of  love.     Just  as 
much  as  a  person  esteems  this  god,  and  is  zealous  in 
his  cause,  under  this  deception,  just  so  much  he  exer- 
cises an  enmity  to  the  true  God,  and  to  the  true  reli- 
gion.    If  the  carnal  mind  be  enmity  against  God  and 
not  subject  to  his  law,  then  it  must  be  hatred  towards 
God,  and  hatred  towards  man,  as  the  divine  law  is  love 
to  both.     Hence  it  is  as  plain  as  demonstration,  that 
whenever  religious  people  arm  their  God  with  vindic- 
tive vengeance  against  any  portion  of  his  works,  they 
have  made  him  exactly  according  to  the  pattern  of  that 
carnal  mind  which  is  enmity  to  God's  law,  is  not  sub- 
ject to  it,  neither  indeed  can  be.     Why  cannot  the 
carnal  mind  be  subjected  to  the  law  of  God  ?     Answer, 
because  the  god  that  it  adores  cannot  be  subjected 
to  that  divine  law  of  love,  which  requires  us  to  love 
our  enemies,  and  pray  for  those  who  persecute  us. 

There  never  could  exist  a  false  religion  in  our  world, 
which  was  destitute  of  enmity ;  for  in  the  first  place, 
a  religion  in  which  there  is  no  enmity  is  the  wisdom 
of  God,  as  described  by  an  apostle,  who  says,  '  The 
wisdom  which  is  from  above  is  first  pure,  then  peace- 
able, gentle,  and  easy  to  be  entreated,  full  of  mercy, 
and  good  fruits,  without  partiality  and  without  hypoc- 
risy.'    It  is  very  evident  that  a  wisdom  which  is  full 


132  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

of  mercy ;  and  impartial,  can  have  no  enmity  against 
any  being  in  the  universe.  Secondly,  a  religion  des- 
titute of  enmity  would  have  nothing  to  recommend 
itself  to  the  carnal  mind,  which  is  enmity.  This  car- 
nal minded  religion  was  in  high  repute  among  the 
chief  priests  and  elders  of  the  people  of  Israel,  in  the 
days  of  our  Saviour  ;  this  was  the  wisdom  of  the  prin- 
ces of  this  world,  which  stood  in  opposition  to  Christ. 
the  wisdom  of  God.  The  religion  of  the  chief  priests 
and  elders  taught  them  to  believe  that  they  were  the 
peculiar  favorites  of  heaven,  that  they  were  more  holy 
and  righteous  than  others  who  did  not  conform  to 
their  notions  and  traditions,  and  they  were  fixed  in 
the  opinion  that  God  had  no  regard  to  those  whom 
they  called  sinners;  they  themselves  hated  them,  and 
rejected  Christ  because  he  appeared  the  sinner's  friend. 
Their  love  to  their  religion,  their  devotedness  to  their 
god,  their  zeal  for  that  darling  enmity  which  rankled 
in  their  hearts,  all  led  them  so  directly  contrary  to 
their  profession,  that  although  they  believed  in  a  Mes- 
siah, and  longed  to  see  him  manifested,  yet  they  hated, 
despised  and  rejected  him,  and  at  last  put  him  to 
death.  Thus  they  said  they  would  go  and  labor  in 
God's  vineyard ;  but  in  room  of  doing  this,  they  made 
a  god  to  their  liking,  and  went  and  labored  in  his 
vineyard.  On  the  other  hand,  those  people  who  had 
never  clothed  themselves  with  the  traditions  of  the  el- 
ders, entertained  no  high  opinion  of  their  personal  ho- 
liness, whose  minds  were  mostly  taken  up  in  things  of 
a  worldly  nature,  and  who  had  no  religious  hatred 
settled  in  their  minds  towards  others,  had  never  pro- 
fessed to  understand  the  mysteries  of  the  law,  nor  pub- 
licly covenanted  to  keep  the  commandments,  on  hear- 
ing the  words  of  Jesus,  who  spake  as  never  man  spake, 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  133 

who  taught  as  one  having  authority,  and  not  as  the 
scribes,  who  proclaimed  liberty  to  captives,  forgave  the 
sins  of  transgressors,  appeared  to  be  a  friend  to  publi- 
cans and  sinners,  healing  all  their  infirmities,  were 
melted  into  penitence  and  love,  and  they  forsook  the 
world  and  followed  after  their  friend  and  Redeemer. 
Thus  those  who  did  not  profess  to  follow  the  way  of 
holiness,  repented  and  went  into  the  vineyard,  and  la- 
bored in  the  works  of  love. 

This  was  equally  true  in  regard  also  to  the  preach- 
ing of  John,  as  the  Saviour  notices :  see  the  applica- 
tion, verse  31,  32.  'Jesus  saith  unto  them,  Verily  I 
say  unto  you,  that  the  publicans  and  the  harlots  go 
into  the  kingdom  of  God  before  you.  For  John  came 
unto  you  in  the  way  of  righteousness,  and  ye  believed 
him  not ;  but  the  publicans  and  the  harlots  believed 
him  ;  and  ye,  when  ye  had  seen  it,  repented  not  after- 
ward, that  ye  might  believe  him.' 

Are  the  things  of  which  we  have  been  treating  all 
done  away  from  our  world,  or  is  their  resemblance  still 
in  being  ?  Have  the  chief  priests  and  the  elders  of  the 
Jews  not  a  soul  on  earth  to  support  their  character,  or 
defend  their  religion  ?  Is  the  world  forsaken  of  all 
those  who  thank  God  that  they  are  not  like  other  men, 
who  feel  grateful  that  they  are  not  like  the  publicans 
and  sinnners  ?  Is  there  not  one  to  vindicate  the  reli- 
gion of  the  carnal  mind  ?  no  one  to  arm  an  almigh- 
ty power  with  enmity  against  mankind  who  are  sin- 
ners ?  Is  the  world  destitute  of  those  righteous  people 
who  feel  and  exercise  an  unmerciful  vengeance  towards 
those  whom  they  esteem  unworthy  of  the  favor  which 
they  have  merited  ?  Let  the  intolerant  spirit  of  those 
who  profess  to  understand  the  mysteries  of  the  gos- 
pel, and  to  maintain  its  religion  in  the  world,  give  the 
12 


134  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

answer.  Let  those  rise  up  in  honor  of  the  chief 
priests  and  the  elders,  who  declare  eternal,  unmerciful 
vengeance  against  those  who  do  not  submit  to  their 
inventions  and  traditions.  Let  that  religion  which  is 
irreconcilable  enmity  against  the  rational  creatures  of 
God,  put  an  end  to  all  such  questions.  He  who  pro- 
fessed Jesus,  was  put  out  of  the  synagogue,  by  the 
chief  priests  and  the  elders ;  and  whoever  now  pro- 
fesses that  religion  of  Jesus,  in  which  there  is  no  en- 
mity towards  man,  must  be  turned  out  of  the  church, 
if  he  belongs  to  one.  Those  who  lead  in  the  religion 
of  the  carnal  mind,  are  an  exact  resemblance  of  those 
to  whom  Jesus  spoke  this  parable.  They  say  by  pro- 
fession, that  they  will  work  in  the  vineyard  of  the  true 
God,  but  immediately  we  find  them  calling  their  sons 
and  their  daughters  to  pass  through  the  fire  to  a  god 
which  is  the  vanity  of  their  imaginations.  And  by 
making  an  offering  of  millions  of  their  fellow  creatures 
to  gratify  the  enmity  and  wrath  of  their  deity,  they 
procure  for  themselves  confirmation,  which  they  pre- 
dicate on  the  endless  misery  of  those  whom  they  have 
thus  offered  up.  Thus  circumstanced,  what  view 
must  they  naturally  entertain  of  him  who  came  not  to 
condemn  the  world,  but  that  the  world  through  him 
might  be  saved  ;  who  gave  himself  a  ransom  for  all  to 
be  testified  in  due  time,  who  by  the  grace  of  God  tast- 
ed death  for  every  man,  who  was  delivered  for  our  of- 
fences and  raised  again  for  our  justification,  who  abol- 
ishes enmity,  by  the  blood  of  his  cross,  with  a  design 
to  reconcile  all  things  to  himself,  to  whom  are  given 
the  heathen  for  an  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts 
of  the  earth  for  a  possession,  and  through  the  redemp- 
tion of  whose  blood,  all  who  have  sinned  and  come 
short  of  the  glory  of  God,  are  freely  justified  ?     Can 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  135 

those  love  such  doctrine  who  are  justified  in  their  own 
religious  opinions,  by  the  spirit  of  enmity  ?  who  can 
entertain  no  idea  of  the  love  of  God  towards  them,  on- 
ly in  the  ratio  as  he  hates  somebody  else  ?  To  such 
the  meek,  humble  spirit  of  the  Lamb  of  God,  who  tak- 
eth  away  the  sin  of  the  world,  is  the  most  offensive  of 
any  thing  with  which  they  are  troubled.  Like  the 
chief  priests  and  elders  of  the  people  of  the  Jews, 
those  who  are  foremost  in  this  religion  of  enmity,  in 
the  present  day,  make  great  professions  of  godliness, 
of  remarkable  piety,  are  strict  in  outward  ceremonies  ; 
but  their  mouths  are  full  of  cursing  and  bitterness  to- 
wards those  who  do  not  comply  with  their  religious 
opinions.  Because  their  opposition  to  the  gospel  of 
Christ,  is  so  deeply  rooted  in  their  religious  sentiments, 
it  is  much  harder  for  them  to  yield  to  the  self-denying 
doctrine  of  divine  grace,  than  it  is  for  those  who  have 
no  goodness  of  their  own  on  which  they  depend.  It 
would  be  erroneous,  no  doubt,  to  suppose  that  the 
chief  priests  and  elders  of  the  people  were,  by  nature, 
more  opposed  to  the  gospel  than  publicans  and  har- 
lots, as  it  is  evident  that  their  greater  opposition,  grew 
directly  out  of  their  religious  education  and  profession. 
So  in  the  present  day,  it  is  not  because  the  christian 
clergy  are  worse,  by  nature,  than  other  men,  that  they, 
in  general  are  so  much  more  opposed  to  the  true  spirit 
of  the  gospel,  than  other  people.  It  is  evident  enough 
that  this  greater  opposition  grows  out  of  their  religious 
education  and  profession.  These  chief  priests  and  el- 
ders were  honorable  men,  they  were  established  in  a 
system  which  gave  them  opportunity  to  receive  honor 
one  of  another,  and  this  was  a  fatal  bar  to  their  be- 
lieving in  Christ.  See  St.  John  v,  44:  'How  can 
ye  believe,  which  receive  honor  one  of  another,  and 


136  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

seek  not  the  honor  that  cometh  from  God  only  ? '  It 
was  then  considered  dishonorable  to  profess  to  be  a 
disciple  of  that  friend  to  publicans  and  sinners. — 
Whosoever  did  this,  of  those  who  were  esteemed  hon- 
orable in  the  Pharisees  religion,  must  suffer  great  loss 
of  esteem,  and  be  classed  with  those  who  were  held  in 
great  contempt.  For  fear  of  this  scorn,  Nicodemus 
and  many  others  of  the  rulers,  though  they  believed  on 
Jesus,  did  not  confess  him,  lest  the  Pharisee  should 
put  them  out  of  the  synagogue.  To  be  put  out  of 
the  synagogue  was  as  dreadful  then,  as  to  be  excom- 
municated from  a  church  and  deprived  of  the  privi- 
lege of  communion,  is  now  ;  which  at  present  keeps 
too  many  from  the  open  profession  of  what  they  in 
conscience  believe.  Under  these  embarrassing  cir- 
cumstances, who  are  the  most  easily  introduced  to  a 
knowledge  and  open  profession  of  the  gospel  of 
Christ  ?  Answer,  those  who  have  the  least  of  those 
difficulties  to  hinder  them.  Therefore  we  now  heai 
from  the  lips  of  our  high  professors  and  honorable 
divines,  contemptuous  language  against  those  who 
profess  to  believe  in  that  religion  in  which  there  is  no 
enmity  against  mankind.  Hence  we  find  but  very 
few  of  those  who  stand  in  the  high  esteem  of  the  car- 
nal religion  of  the  day,  willing  to  part  with  the  honors 
which  they  receive  one  of  another,  for  the  dishonor- 
able reproaches  of  Christ..  But  those  who  have  never 
believed  themselves  so  much  better  than  others,  as  to 
say,  '  Stand  by  thyself,  come  not  nigh  me,  for  I  am 
holier  than  thou,'  who  have  none  of  those  religious 
honors  to  lose,  who  are  already  viewed,  by  those  high 
in  favor,  as  reprobates  on  whom  God  will  have  no 
more  mercy  than  is  consistent  with  the  enmity  of 
the  Pharisee,  generally  hear  the  gospel  gladly,  and, 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 


137 


thanks  be  to  God,  many  receive  the  truth  in  the  love 
of  it. 

The  christian  reader  is  here  cautioned  against  a  spi- 
rit of  hardness  against  those  in  the  present  day,  who 
fill  the  place  of  the  chief  priests  and  elders  among  the 
Jews.  It  has  already  been  hinted  that  their  opposition 
to  the  gospel  grows  out  of  their  religious  education  ; 
and  this  circumstance  ought  to  excite  charity,  and 
even  to  move  our  pity.  If  in  the  days  of  Christ, 
those  who  were  called  sinners  and  despised  by  the  re- 
ligious Pharisees,  had  been  brought  up  and  educa- 
ted as  Saul  was,  they  would  undoubtedly  have  been 
as  opposed  to  the  gospel  as  the  chief  priests  them- 
selves. 

The  influence  which  our  schools  have  on  the 
minds  of  youth,  is  great  and  hard  to  be  resisted.  A 
young  man  of  respectable  parents,  who  under  the  kind 
patronage  of  paternal  love  and  affections,  receives  an 
education  which  is  supposed  suitable  for  the  ministry, 
studies  with  a  learned  divine  of  honorable  rank  in  the 
system  of  honor  which  is  at  the  disposal  of  the  order, 
is  honored  himself  with  those  degrees  in  learning 
which  are  highly  esteemed  in  the  world,  has  many 
powerful  ties  to  bind  him  to  the  traditions  of  the  el- 
ders. How  can  he  believe  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  ? 
He  can  hardly  bear  to  hear  a  word  said  on  a  subject 
so  distant  and  contrary  to  his  pious  education  ;  much 
less,  think  of  giving  a  doctrine  a  place  in  his  heart 
which  is  despised  as  an  abominable  heresy,  by  all  those 
on  whom  he  depends  for  his  growing  fame,  and  de- 
sired additional  honors.  The  difficulties  under  which 
the  mind  is  confined,  in  such  an  instance,  are  too  nu- 
merous and  too  considerable  for  a  heart,  like  the  heart 
of  all  men  who  love  this  world,  to  overcome. 
12* 


138  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

Though  more  has  been  said  already,  on  this  pas- 
sage, than  was  intended  in  the  beginning,  it  seems  im- 
proper to  dismiss  it  without  making  an  application  of 
it  to  individuals.  A  profession  of  the  gospel  of  Christ 
may  be  said  to  be  answering  as  the  son  did,  who 
said,  i  I  go,  sir ;  '  this  was  so  far  doing  his  duty ;  but 
it  was  the  smallest  part  of  it,  and  a  part  which  he  had 
much  better  have  neglected,  than  to  neglect  the  part 
which  he  did.  He  did  not  according  to  his  profession, 
but  he  who  refused,  afterwards  repented  and  went, 
and  was  preferred  to  the  other.  Let  every  professor 
of  the  religion  of  Christ,  so  far  apply  this  parable  to 
himself,  as  to  examine  carefully  whether  he  goes  accor- 
ding to  his  profession. 


PARABLE  XXII. 

'  Hear  another  parable:  There  was  a  certain  householder  which  planted  a 
vineyard,  and  hedged  it  round  about,  and  digged  a  wine  press  in  it,  and 
built  a  tower,  and  let  it  out  to  husbandmen,  and  went  into  a  far  country. 
And  when  the  time  of  the  fruit  drew  near,  he  sent  his  servants  to  the  hus" 
bandmen,  that  they  might  receive  the  fruits  of  it.  And  the  husbandmen  took 
his  servants  and  beat  one,  and  killed  another,  and  stoned  another.  Again, 
he  sent  other  servants,  more  than  the  first;  and  they  did  unto  them  like- 
wise. But  last  of  all,  he  sent  unto  them  his  son,  saying,  They  will  reverence 
my  son.  But  when  the  husbandmen  saw  the  son,  they  said  among  them- 
selves, This  is  the  heir;  come  let  us  kill  him,  and  let  us  seize  on  his  inheri- 
tance. And  they  caught  him  and  cast  him  out  of  the  vineyard,  and  slew 
him.  When  the  Lord  therefore  of  the  vineyard  cometh,  what  will  he  do 
•info  those  husbandmen  ]  They  say  unto  him,  He  will  miserably  destroy 
those  wicked  men,  and  will  let  out  his  vineyard  unto  other  husbandmen 
which  shall  render  him  the  fruits  in  their  seasons.  Jesus  saith  unto  them, 
Did  ye  never  read  in  the  Scriptures,  The  stone  which  the  builders  rejecte- 
d,  the  same  is  become  the  head  of  the  corner  1  this  is  the  Lord's  doing 
it  is  marvellous  in  our  eyes.  Therefore  say  I  unto  you,  the  kingdom  of 
God  shall  \>a  taken  from  you  and  given  to  a  nation  bringing  forth  the  fruits 
thereof.'— Malt.  xxi.  33 — 43. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  139 

1.  The  legal  dispensation,  with  the  privileges  there- 
of, is  intended  by  the  vineyard  let  out. 

2.  The  house  of  Israel,  is  meant  by  the  husbandmen 
to  whom  the  vineyard  was  let. 

3.  By  the  time  of  the  fruits'  drawing  near,  I  under- 
stand the  time  when  that  dispensation  was  drawing  to 
a  close. 

4.  The  prophets  whom  the  Lord  sent  to  the  house 
of  Israel,  are  intended  by  the  servants  whom  the  house- 
holder sent  to  the  husbandmen  to  receive  the  fruits  of 
the  vineyard. 

5.  The  treatment  which  the  faithful  prophets  of  the 
Lord  received  of  their  brethren,  the  Jews,  we  learn  by 
the  husbandmen's  taking  the  servants  and  beating  one, 
and  killing  another,  and  stoning  another. 

6.  John,  who  was  the  greatest  prophet  ever  born  of 
woman,  and  those  who  were  engaged  with  him  in  his 
ministry,  are  intended  by  the  servants  who  were  '  more 
than  the  first ; '  and  these  met  with  like  treatment  as 
the  first. 

7.  Christ  himself,  who  was  sent  to  the  lost  sheep  of 
the  house  of  Israel,  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was 
lost,  is  intended  by  the  son  of  the  householder,  whom 
the  householder  sent  to  the  husbandmen. 

8.  Jesus  points  to  the  tragical  scene  of  his  death, 
which  he  was  soon  to  suffer  by  the  cruel  hands  of  the 
Jews,  by  the  husbandmen's  casting  the  son  out  of  the 
vineyard  and  slaying  him. 

9.  Christ  again  reduces  the  Pharisees  to  the  neces- 
sity of  giving  judgment  against  themselves,  by  asking 
them  the  question,  '  When  the  Lord  therefore  of  the 
vineyard  cometh,  what  will  he  do  unto  those  husband- 
men ? '  To  which  they  answer,  '  He  will  miserably 
destroy   those  wicked   men,   and    will    let    out    his 


140  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

vineyard  unto  other  husbandmen,  which  shall  render 
him  the  fruits  in  their  seasons.'  Jesus  then  asked 
them  another  question,  which  again  referred  to  their 
rejecting  him,  saying,  '  Did  ye  never  read  in  the 
Scriptures,  The  stone  which  the  builders  rejected,  the 
same  is  become  the  head  of  the  corner  ?  this  is  the 
Lord's  doing,  and  it  is  marvellous  in  our  eyes.'  Then 
lie  applies  the  foregoing  parable,  according  to  the 
Pharisees'  answer,  and  according  to  his  own  meaning  ; 
'  Therefore  I  say  unto  you,  the  kingdom  of  God  shall 
be  taken  from  you,  and  given  to  a  nation  bringing 
forth  the  fruits  thereof: '  By  which  we  learn  the  re- 
jection of  Israel,  and  the  granting  of  the  gospel  to  the 
Gentiles. 


ILLUSTRATION. 

The  apostacy  of  the  house  of  Israel,  their  abuse  of 
the  blessings  with  which  God  distinguished  them,  their 
setting  up  their  traditions  by  which  they  made  void 
the  law,  their  teaching  for  doctrine  the  traditions  and 
commandments  of  men,  and  their  rejecting  the  coun- 
sel of  God  by  the  prophets,  and  his  grace  by  Jesus 
Christ,  their  stumbling  at  the  stone  laid  in  Zion,  their 
rejecting  the  stone  which  was  made  the  head  of  the 
corner,  and  their  being  broken  off  from  their  own 
olive  tree  through  unbelief ;  and  the  Gentiles  being 
grafted  into  Christ  by  faith ;  and  the  many  circum- 
stances attendant  on  those  events,  are  represented  by 
a  very  great  variety  of  similitudes,  both  in  the  scrip- 
tures of  the  prophets  and  those  of  Christ.  The  proph- 
et Isaiah,  in  a  similitude  of  a  vineyard,  varied  but  a 
little  from  the  parable  above,  aims  undoubtedly  at  the 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  141 

same  event.  See  chap,  v,  1 — 7  :  '  Now  will  I  sing  to 
my  well  beloved  a  song  of  my  beloved  touching  his 
vineyard.  My  well  beloved  had  a  vineyard  in  a  very 
fruitful  hill ;  and  he  fenced  it,  and  gathered  out  the 
stones  thereof,  and  planted  it  with  the  choicest  vine, 
and  built  a  tower  in  the  midst  of  it,  and  also  made  a 
wine  press  therein  :  and  looked  that  it  should  bring 
forth  grapes,  and  it  brought  forth  wild  grapes.  And 
now,  O  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  and  men  of  Judah, 
judge  I  pray  you  betwixt  me  and  my  vineyard.  What 
could  have  been  done  more  to  my  vineyard  that  I  have 
not  done  in  it  ?  Wherefore,  when  I  looked  that  it 
should  bring  forth  grapes,  brought  it  forth  wild  grapes  ? 
And  now,  go  to ;  I  will  tell  you  what  I  will  do  to  my 
vineyard  :  I  will  take  away  the  hedge  thereof,  and  it 
shall  be  eaten  up ;  and  break  down  the  wall  thereof, 
and  it  shall  be  trodden  down.  And  I  will  lay  it 
waste :  it  shall  not  be  pruned  nor  digged ;  but  there 
shall  come  up  briers  and  thorns  ;  I  will  command 
the  clouds  that  they  rain  no  rain  upon  it.  For  the 
vineyard  of  the  Lord  of  hosts  is  the  house  of  Israel, 
and  the  men  of  Judah  his  pleasant  plant ;  and  he  look- 
ed for  judgment,  and  behold  oppression  ;  for  right- 
eousness, but  behold  a  cry.'  Jeremiah  ii,  21  :  '  Yet  I 
have  planted  thee  a  noble  vine,  wholly  a  right  seed  : 
how  then  art  thou  turned  into  the  degenerate  plant  of 
a  strange  vine  unto  me  ? '  The  parable  of  the  talents 
in  Matthew,  xxv,  as  well  as  the  other  two  parables  in 
that  chapter,  signifies,  no  doubt,  nearly  the  same  as 
the  above  passages  from  the  prophets.  The  parable 
of  the  barren  fig  tree  in  St.  Luke  xiii,  has  a  very  near 
relation  to  this  of  the  vineyard.  The  reader,  by  tak- 
ing a  little  pains,  may  easily  discover  the  primary 
meaning1  and  application  of  all  such  parables. 


142  NOiES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

In  Isaiah's  song  of  the  vineyard,  it  is  noticed,  that 
when  the  planter  of  the  vineyard  looked  that  it  should 
bring  forth  grapes,  it  brought  forth  wild  grapes, 
which  in  the  application  made  by  the  prophet,  respects 
the  wickednesss  of  the  house  of  Israel.  See  verse  7, 
'  For  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord  of  hosts  is  the  house 
of  Israel,  and  the  men  of  Judah  his  pleasant  plant ; 
and  he  looked  for  judgment,  and  behold  oppression ; 
for  righteousness,  but  behold  a  cry.' 

Similar  to  this  accusation  is  that  brought  against 
the  same  people  by  our  Saviour,  as  recorded  in  Matt, 
xxiii,  23  :  Wo  unto  you  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypo- 
crites ?  For  ye  pay  tithe  of  mint,  and  anise,  and 
cummin,  and  have  omitted  the  weightier  matters  of 
the  law,  judgment,  mercy,  and  faith  ;  these  ought  ye 
toliave  done,  and  not  leave  the  others  undone.'  Ag-un 
in  the  same  chapter,  verse  14,  'Wo  unto  you  scri  >es 
and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  !  for  ye  devour  widows 
houses  and  for  a  pretence  make  long  prayer  :  therefore 
ye  shall  receive  the  greater  damnation.'  It  was  not 
because  the  high  professors  of  religion  among  the  Jews 
had  not  been  told  that  God  delighted  more  in  mer- 
cy than  he  did  sacrifices,  that  they  were  so  profuse 
of  the  latter,  and  so  utterly  neglectful  of  the  former. 
The  real  reason  was,  they  could  procure  sacrifices  by 
devouring  widows'  houses  and  other  acts  of  abomina- 
ble injustice  ;  but  this  was  no  way  to  come  at  what  their 
evil  hearts  were  so  averse  to  as  mercy.  Of  this  their 
wilful  ignorance  of  what  their  prophets  had  told  them, 
our  Saviour  did  not  fail  to  put  them  in  mind.  See 
Matt,  xii,  7  :  '  But  if  ye  had  known  what  this  mean- 
eth,  I  will  have  mercy  and  not  sacrifice,  ye  would  not 
have  condemned  the  guiltless.'  Again,  see  Matt.  ix. 
10,  11,  12,  13  :  '  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  Jesus  sat  at 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  143 

meat  in  the  house,  behold,  many  publicans  and  sin- 
ners came  and  sat  down  with  him  and  his  disciples. 
And  when  the  Pharisees  saw  it  they  said  unto  his  dis- 
ciples, Why  eateth  your  master  with  publicans  and 
sinners  ?  But  when  Jesus  heard  that,  he  said  unto 
them,  they  that  be  whole  need  not  a  physician,  but 
they  that  are  sick.  But  go  ye  and  learn  what  that  mean- 
eth,  I  will  have  mercy,  and  not  sacrifice :  for  I  am  not 
come  to  call  the  righteous,  but  sinners,  to  repentance.' 
The  occasion  which  called  for  the  above  rebuke  was 
of  weighty  consideration,  and  which  showed  but  too 
plainly  the  Pharisees'  want  of  mercy,  and  their  unjusti- 
fiable ignorance  of  the  scriptures  of  the  prophets  on 
that  subject. 

c  Behold,  many  publicans  and  sinners  came  and  sat 
down  with  him  and  his  disciples.'  What  a  sight  must 
this  have  been  to  those  self-righteous  Pharisees  !  A 
divine  teacher  show  a  spirit  of  condescension  and  fa- 
vor toward  sinners  !  how  contrary  was  this  to  the 
doctrine  and  practice  of  the  Pharisees  !  No  such  fruit 
ever  yet  grew  on  the  degenerate  plant  of  so  strange  a 
vine  as  a  Pharisee.  Here  stands  the  character  of 
Christ  Jesus  and  the  character  of  the  Pharisee,  so  situa- 
ted in  regard  to  each  other,  that  their  opposition  is  a 
perfect  display  of  their  two  doctrines  and  their  total 
difference.  The  doctrine  of  Christ,  on  the  one  hand, 
shows  mercy  to  sinners  ;  that  of  the  Pharisees,  on  the 
other  hand  shows  no  mercy  to  sinners.  The  intent 
and  meaning  of  the  mission  of  Christ  was  to  call  sin- 
ners to  repentance.  The  intent  and  design  of  the 
doctrine  of  the  Pharisees  was  to  sentence  sinners  to 
hopeless  misery.  The  work  of  Christ,  like  that  of  a 
skilful  physician,  was  to  heal  the  sick.  The  work  of 
the  Pharisees  was  to  thank  God  that  they  were  not  like 
other  men. 


144  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

What  were  the  weightier  matters  of  the  law  which 
the  Pharisees  omitted  ?  Answer,  judgment,  mercy, 
and  faith.  If  they  had  not  been  wanting  in  those  re- 
quirements of  the  law,  they  would  not  have  been  ac- 
cused of  bearing,  in  the  room  of  the  expected  grapes, 
wild  grapes.  They  would  not  have  been  represented 
by  husbandmen  who  refused  to  render  to  the  house- 
holder the  fruit  of  his  vineyard.  Nor  would  they 
have  been  subject  to  be  reprimanded  as  wicked  and 
slothful  servants.  These  religious  people  surely  did 
not  neglect  to  have  and  maintain  something  that  they 
called  justice  or  judgment :  no,  see  the  passage  quo- 
ted from  Isaiah  :  '  And  he  looked  for  judgment,  but 
behold  oppression?  This  oppression  they  called  jus- 
tice, or  judgment.  Why  was  it  not  acceptable  ?  An- 
swer, because  it  was  that  kind  of  judgment  or  justice, 
if  it  be  right  to  call  it  so,  in  which  there  was  no  mercy, 
of  course  no  righteousness.  The  doctrine  of  the 
Pharisees  never  could  bring  justice  and  mercy  to 
agree  :  perhaps  the  reason  was,  they  entertained  the 
same  opinion  that  is  taught  in  our  schools,  and  by  our 
christian  doctors,  that  the  law  knows  no  mercy !  Here 
we  come,  as  it  were  by  mere  accident,  where  the  para- 
ble applies  with  all  its  force  to  the  Christian  church, 
as  it  did  to  that  of  the  Jews.  We  have  already  seen 
the  opposition  which  appeared  between  the  doctrine 
and  traditions  of  the  Pharisees,  and  the  doctrine  and 
practice  of  Christ ;  and  surely  no  argument  is  necessa- 
ry to  show  the  exact  agreement  between  the  doctrine 
and  traditions  of  the  Pharisees  and  the  doctrine  and 
traditions  of  our  doctors  of  divinity.  There  certainly 
never  could  be  more  opposition  in  what  passed  for  jus- 
tice among  the  Pharisees,  than  there  is  in  the  doctrine 
of  endless  punishment  contended  for  by  our  divines ; 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  145 

nor  was  it  possible  for  them  to  administer  what  they 
called  justice,  in  a  more  unmerciful  manner,  than  our 
divines  do  in  contending  for  the  justice  of  never  end- 
ing, unmerciful  punishment.  Those  Pharisees  adopted 
traditions  as  consistent  with  their  views  of  the  require- 
ments of  the  law  as  possible,  and  our  divines  have 
done  the  same.  Those  denied  the  professor  in  Jesus 
the  rites  of  the  synagogue ;  and  these  deny  the  rites 
of  the  christian  church  and  communion.  Those  de- 
voured widows1  houses  and  oppressed  the  poor ;  and 
these  have  done  much  more :  not  being  content  with 
taking  the  property  of  those  whom  they  please  to  de- 
nounce as  erroneous,  they  have  whipped,  confined, 
banished  and  murdered  them  !  This  they  have  called 
justice  in  this  world,  and  never  ending  punishment 
they  call  justice  in  the  next.  The  cries  of  the  poor 
and  needy,  oppressed  with  ecclesiastical  exactions, 
have  ascended  to  heaven  from  this  land  of  boasted  re- 
ligious tolerance. 

Looking  at  the  christian  church  in  the  similitude  of 
a  vineyard,  it  may  be  said,  when  judgment  was  looked 
for,  behold,  oppression.  Or  if  we  view  it  in  the  char- 
acter of  husbandmen  to  whom  a  vineyard  was  let  out, 
it  appears  that  in  room  of  rendering  the  fruit  in  the 
season,  the  husbandmen  have  killed  the  servants  of 
the  householder,  with  a  view  to  retain  the  fruits  to 
themselves.  Nor  do  they  attack,  with  less  fury,  the 
son,  who  is  the  heir,  than  did  those  who  hung  him  on 
a  tree. 

The  doctrine  of  an  unmerciful  law,  seems  to  be  the 
chief  corner  stone  on  which  our  christian  builders  have 
erected  their  temple  ;  for  it  is  in  strict  conformity  to  a 
justice  in  which  there  is  no  mercy,  that  they  endeavor 
to  build,  and  although  in  the  building  of  this  Babel 
13 


146  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

their  language  is  completely  confounded,  they  uniform- 
ly retain  the  same  words  to  express  the  form  and  fig- 
ure of  their  chief  corner  stone. 

The  mind  can  hardly  conceive  of  the  greatness  of 
the  change  which  would  be  effected  in  our  orthodox 
creed,  should  it  be  so  modified  as  to  admit  of  the  full, 
free  and  perfect  action  of  the  three  weightier  matters 
of  the  law  named  by  Christ,  judgment,  mercy  and 
faith  !  three  divine  jewels  of  the  law !  In  their  har- 
mony, in  the  point  where  they  meet,  there  shine  the 
brightness  of  the  Father's  glory,  and  the  express  image 
of  his  person.  This  divine  law,  which  requires  judg- 
ment, mercy  and  faith,  as  its  weightier  matters,  is  rep- 
resented as  entirely  destitute  of  mercy,  or  of  any  pow- 
er to  support  the  christian  faith.  And  indeed,  this 
representation  must  be  maintained,  or  the  belief  of 
endless,  unmerciful  punishment  must  be  given  up  ; 
for  it  is  as  evident  as  demonstration,  that  a  law  which 
requires  mercy  as  one  of  its  cardinal  objects,  can  nev- 
er punish  in  an  unmerciful  manner. 

If  the  chief  priests,  the  elders  of  the  people,  and 
the  Pharisees  had  entertained  no  ideas  of  justice,  but 
such  as  were  in  perfect  unison  with  mercy,  and  had 
professed  no  faith  but  such  as  mercy  supported,  it  is 
very  evident  that  they  would  never  have  entertained 
that  implacable  hatred  towards  those  whom  they  view- 
ed sinners,  that  they  did,  nor  would  they  have  de- 
spised and  rejected  Christ  for  being  a  friend  to  publi- 
cans and  sinners.  Equally  applicable  are  these  re- 
marks to  the  doctors  and  leaders  in  the  christian 
church.  If  they  entertained  no  ideas  of  justice,  but 
such  as  are  in  perfect  unison  with  mercy,  and  pro- 
fessed no  faith  but  such  as  mercy  supports,  it  is  evi- 
dent beyond  any  doubt,  that  they  would  not  teach  the 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  147 

justice  of  unmerciful,  endless  punishment,  nor  faith  in 
such  a  dispensation  of  justice.  Of  course,  they  never 
would  have  been  the  wicked  instigators  of  the  abomi- 
nable, unmerciful  persecutions  which  have  been  prac- 
tised in  the  christian  church.  [It  is  understood  that 
the  reader  is  at  liberty  to  place  anti  to  the  word  chris- 
tian, wherever  the  sense  requires  it.]  Nor  would  they 
at  this  moment,  when  the  civil  authority  is  not  only 
out  of  their  hands,  in  this  country,  but  absolutely  for- 
bids their  oppressing  or  persecuting,  show  such  a  ven- 
eration for,  and  pay  almost  a  divine  honor  to  those 
who,  when  they  had  the  power  in  their  hands,  ban- 
ished and  put  to  death  those  who  could  not  believe 
in  their  antichristian  creeds.  As  the  highly  esteemed 
hierarchy  of  the  Jewish  church  finally  lost  its  power  and 
respectability,  so  must  it  be  with  that  of  the  antichris- 
tian. Not  a  vestige  of  it  will  be  left  to  dishonor  the 
Saviour,  or  to  seduce  and  deceive  mankind. 

As  the  foregoing  illustration  sets  the  character  of 
the  divine  law  in  so  different  a  light  from  what  is  gen- 
erally believed,  it  may  be  well  to  show  in  what  sense 
the  law  is  represented  to  be  a  ministration  of  death, 
and  in  what  sense  it  is  a  ministration  [of  mercy  and 
life.  This  may  be  seen  very  plainly  set  forth  in  much 
of  the  writings  of  St.  Paul,  one  passage  of  which  may 
here  be  noticed.  See  Rom.  viii,  3,4:'  For  what  the 
law  could  not  do,  in  that  it  was  weak  through  the 
flesh,  God  sending  his  own  son  in  the  likeness  of  sin- 
ful flesh,  and  for  sin  condemned  sin  in  the  flesh ;  that 
the  righteousness  of  the  law  might  be  fulfilled  in  us, 
who  walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  spirit? 
This  passage,  as  connected  with  the  thread  of  the  apos- 
tle's argument  on  this  subject,  shows  the  law  to  be  a 
ministration  of  death  in  the  Utter,  but  a  ministration 


148  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

of  righteousness  and  life  in  the  spirit.  This  idea  is 
corroborated  by  the  following  passages.  See  Rom.  ii, 
27,  28,  29 :  '  And  shall  not  circumcision  which  is  by 
nature,  if  it  fulfil  the  law,  judge  thee,  who  by  the  let- 
ter and  circumcision  dost  transgress  the  law  ?  For  he 
is  not  a  Jew  which  is  one  outwardly  ;  neither  is  that 
circumcision  which  is  outward  in  the  flesh ;  but  he  is 
a  Jew  which  is  one  inwardly :  and  circumcision  is  that 
of  the  heart,  in  the  spirit,  and  not  in  the  letter ;  whose 
praise  is  not  of  men  but  of  God.'  Chap,  vii,  6  :  '  But 
now  we  are  delivered  from  the  law,  that  being  dead 
wherein  we  were  held ;  that  we  should  serve  in  new- 
ness of  spirit,  and  not  in  the  oldness  of  the  letter? 
2  Cor.  iii.  6 :  '  Who  also  hath  made  us  able  ministers 
of  the  new  testament,  not  of  the  letter,  but  of  the  spi- 
it :  for  the  letter  killeth,  but  the  spirit  giveth  life? 


PARABLE  XXIII. 

'  And  whosoever  shall  fall  on  this  stone  shall  be  broken  :  but  on  whomsoever 
it  shall  fall,  it  will  grind  him  to  powder.' — Matt,  xxi,  44. 

1.  The  stone,  of  which  Christ  spake  in  the  above 
verse,  is  that,  which  the  builders  rejected,  which  be- 
came the  head  of  the  corner  ;  by  which  I  understand 
Christ  himself,  as  I  have  observed  before  on  the  words 
rock  and  stone,  in  notes  on  a  former  parable. 

2.  Those  who  fell  upon  this  stone,  and  were  brok- 
en, were  the  Jews,  who  stumbled  at  the  stone  laid  in 
Zion,  and  were  broken  off  through  unbelief.  See 
Rom.  ix,  32  :  '  Wherefore  ?  because  they  sought  it  not 
by  faith,  but  as  it  were  by  the  works  of  the  law ;  for 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  149 

they  stumbled  at  that  stumbling-stone.''  And  xi,  20 : 
i  Well ;  because  of  unbelief  they  were  broken  off,' 
<fcc. 

3.  Those  on  whom  this  stone  fell,  were  those 
kings,  and  their  monarchical  powers,  represented  in 
Nebuchadnezzar's  dream.  See  Daniel  ii,  31  :  '  Thou 
O  king,  sawest,  and  behold,  a  great  image :  this  great 
image,  whose  brightness  was  excellent,  stood  before 
thee,  and  the  form  thereof  was  terrible.'  And  verses 
34,  35 :  '  Thou  sawest  till  that  a  stone  was  cut  out 
without  hands,  which  smote  the  image  upon  his  feet 
that  were  of  iron  and  clay,  and  brake  them  to  pieces. 
Then  was  the  iron,  the  clay,  the  brass,  the  silver,  and 
the  gold,  broken  to  pieces  together,  and  became  like 
the  chaff  of  the  summer  threshing  floors,  and  the  wind 
carried  them  away,  that  no  place  was  found  for  them  : 
and  the  stone  that  smote  the  image  became  a  great 
mountain,  and  filled  the  whole  earth.' 


ILLUSTRATION. 

The  way  in  which  tradition  applies  the  foregoing 
parable  to  prove  the  doctrine  of  endless  punishment,  is 
by  supposing,  that  by  those  who  fall  on  this  stone  and 
are  broken,  is  meant  those  who  give  up  all  dependence 
for  salvation,  in  works  of  their  own,  and  depend  whol- 
ly on  Christ ;  and  that,  by  those  on  whom  this  stone 
shall  fall  and  grind  them  to  powder,  is  meant,  those 
on  whom  the  vindictive  wrath  of  Christ  will  finally  fall 
and  endlessly  remain. 

This  use  and  application  of  the  parable  is  subject, 
among  many  others,  to  the  following  objections  :  First, 
If  it  had  been  the  intention  of  the  divine  teacher  to 


150  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

give  evidence  of  so  momentous  a  doctrine  as  that  of 
endless  punishment,  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  he 
would  have  been  more  explicit,  and  that  for  the  follow- 
ing reasons : 

1.  It  is  not  reasonable  to  suppose  that  he  would  wish 
to  establish  a  belief  in  anything,  which  would  not  work 
some  benefit  to  the  believer. 

2.  If  he  saw  that  a  benefit  would  arise  to  the  be- 
liever of  that  sentiment,  from  a  belief  in  it,  it  is  reason- 
able to  suppose  that  he  would  have  expressed  the  sen- 
timent in  plain,  unequivocal  terms ;  as  our  preachers 
now  do,  without  Christ's  example. 

The  second  general  objection  against  the  tradition- 
al use  of  the  parable  may  be  stated  thus :  If  Christ 
had  been  in  possession  of  a  positive  knowledge  that 
he  should  finally  act  in  an  official  capacity  in  making 
any  portion  of  the  human  race  endlessly  miserable,  it 
is  most  reasonable  to  suppose  that  he  would  have  kept 
that  to  himself,  for  the  following  reasons  : 

1.  Because  he  professed  himself  to  be  differently 
disposed  from  any  such  will  or  disposition.  He  de- 
clared that  the  Father  did  not  send  him  into  the  world 
to  condemn  the  world,  but  that  the  world  through  him 
might  be  saved.  He  likewise  urged  the  necessity  and 
propriety  of  loving  our  enemies,  and  praying  for  them  ; 
and  he  manifested  this  spirit  even  until  the  last,  when 
he  prayed  his  Father  to  forgive  his  persecutors  and 
murderers. 

2.  It  is  not  reasonable  that  the  manifestation  of  such 
a  fact  could  be  of  any  service  to  any  person  living  on 
the  earth.  For  if  this  divine  teacher  knew  that  lie 
should  administer  never  ending  punishment  to  any  of 
the  human  family,  for  them  to  know  it,  in  this 
world,  could  surely  be  no  advantage  to  them.     If  it  be 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  151 

orged  in  reply,  that  it  was  necessary  to  have  this  fact 
known,  so  that  men  might  use  means  to  avoid  it,  let  it 
be  noticed,  that  if  it  can  be  avoided,  it  is  by  no  means 
a  fact. 

The  third  objection  to  the  commonly  received  opin- 
ion, use  and  application  of  this  parable,  is,  that  in 
such  a  use  of  the  passage,  the  language  of  the  text  is 
not  analogous  with  other  scriptures  where  similar  lan- 
guage is  used.  This  stone  is  spoken  of  in  Psalm  cxviii, 
22,  23  :  '  The  stone  which  the  builders  refused  is  be- 
come the  head  stone  of  the  corner.  This  is  the  Lord's 
doing  ;  it  is  marvellous  in  our  eyes.'  Again,  in  Isaiah 
viii,  14,  15:  'And  he  shall  be  for  a  sanctuary ;  but 
for  a  stone  of  stumbling,  and  for  a  rock  of  offence,  to 
both  the  houses  of  Israel ;  for  a  gin  and  for  a  snare  to 
the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem.  And  many  among  them 
shall  stumble,  and  fall,  and  be  broken,  and  be  snared, 
and  be  taken.'  Christ  says  in  the  parable,  '  whosoev- 
er shall  fall  on  this  stone  shall  be  broken'  Isaiah 
says  in  the  quotation  above, '  many  of  them  shall  stum- 
ble, and. fall,  and  be  hrohen.'  No  reasonable  doubt 
can  be  entertained  that  Christ  had  his  eye  to  this  scrip- 
ture in  Isaiah,  when  he  spoke  our  parable.  Nor  will 
it  be  contended  that  the  meaning  of  the  passage  in 
Isaiah  is,  that  those  who  stumble  and  fall,  who  are 
snared  and  taken,  are,  in  that  situation,  true  converts 
to  Christ.  St.  Paul's  application  of  this  scripture  of 
the  prophet,  in  Rom.  ix,  31,  32,  33,  makes  our  subject 
plain  to  the  understanding.  '  But  Israel,  which  fol- 
lowed after  the  law  of  righteousness,  hath  not  attain- 
ed to  the  law  of  righteousness.  Wherefore  ?  Because 
they  sought  it  not  by  faith,  but  as  it  were  by  the  works 
of  the  law  ;  for  they  stumbled  at  that  stumbling-stone  ; 
as  it  is  written,  Behold  I  lay  in  Sion  a  stumbling-stone 


152 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 


and  rock  of  offence ;  and  whosoever  believeth  on  him 
shall  not  be  ashamed.'  In  Rom.  xi,  19,  20,  the  apostle 
designates  his  meaning  more  particularly.  '  Thou 
wilt  say  then,  The  branches  were  broken  off,  that  I 
might  be  grafted  in.  Well ;  because  of  unbelief  they 
were  broken  off,  and  thou  standest  by  faith.'  Corres- 
ponding with  the  quotation  from  Daniel,  used  in  the 
above  notes,  to  apply  the  words  of  the  parable  which 
say,  '  But  on  whomsoever  it  shall  fall,  it  will  grind  him 
to  powder,'  are  the  following  passages :  Psalm  ii,  8 — 
12.  '  Ask  of  me,  and  I  shall  give  thee  the  heathen  for 
thine  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the 
earth  for  thy  possession.  Thou  shalt  break  them  with 
a  rod  of  iron ;  thou  shalt  dash  them  in  pieces  like  a 
potter's  vessel.  Be  wise  now,  therefore,  O  ye  Kings  ; 
be  instructed,  ye  judges  of  the  earth.  Serve  the  Lord 
with  fear,  and  rejoice  with  trembling.  Kiss  the  Son, 
lest  he  be  angry,  and  ye  perish  from  the  way,  when  his 
wrath  is  kindled  but  a  little.  Blessed  are  all  they  that 
put  their  trust  in  him.'  Psalm  cxlix,  5 — 9:  '  Let  the 
saints  be  joyful  in  glory :  let  them  sing  aloud  upon 
their  beds.  Let  the  high  praises  of  God  be  in  their 
mouth,  and  a  two-edged  sword  in  their  hand  :  to  exe- 
cute vengeance  upon  the  heathen,  and  punishment 
upon  the  people  ;  to  bind  their  kings  with  chains,  and 
their  nobles  with  fetters  of  iron  ;  to  execute  upon  them 
the  judgment  written  :  this  honor  have  all  his  saints. 
Praise  ye  the  Lord.'  Rev  ii,  26,  27 :  '  And  he  that 
overcometh,  and  keepeth  my  works  unto  the  end,  to 
him  will  I  give  power  over  the  nations  ;  and  he  shall 
rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron  ;  as  the  vessels  ol  a  pot- 
ter shall  they  be  broken  to  shivers  ;  even  as  I  received 
of  my  Father.'  It  seems  hardly  necessary  now  to  pro- 
ceed to  prove  that  Christ  will  not  dispossess  himself 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  153 

of  his  possession,  and  that  he  will  not  make  his  own 
inheritance,  which  his  Father  gave  him,  eternally  mis- 
erable. The  words  of  the  blessed  Saviour  on  this 
subject  will,  however,  be  considered  as  not  only  im- 
portant, but  acceptable  and  edifying.  See  St.  John 
vi,  37,  38,  39 :  'All  that  the  Father  giveth  me  shall 
come  to  me :  and  him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no 
wise  cast  out.  For  I  came  down  from  heaven,  not 
to  do  mine  own  will,  but  the  will  of  him  that  sent  me. 
And  this  is  the  Father's  will  which  hath  sent  me,  that 
of  all  which  he  hath  given  me  I  should  lose  nothing, 
but  should  raise  it  up  again  at  the  last  day.' 

The  saints  noticed  in  Psalm  cxlix,  were  armed  with 
a  two-edged  sword,  and  had  the  honor  of  executing 
on  the  heathen  the  judgments  written,  of  binding 
their  kings  with  chains,  and  their  nobles  with  fetters 
of  iron.  St.  Paul  in  Eph.  vi,  17,  speaks^of  this 
sword  as  being  the  sword  of  the  spirit,  which  is  the 
word  of  God.  The  conquest  obtained  by  the  saints 
over  the  nations  and  kings  of  the  earth,  is  noticed  in 
Psalm  lxxii,  11 ;  f  All  kings  shall  fall  down  before  him  ; 
all  nations  shall  serve  him.'  And  this  corresponds 
with  a  vast  multitude  of  passages  of  Scripture,  partic- 
ularly with  Psalm  lxxxvi,  9,  10 :  'AH  nations  whom 
thou  hast  made  shall  come  and  worship  before  thee,  O 
Lord;  and  shall  glorify  thy  name.  For  thou  art 
great,  and  doest  wondrous  things:  thou  art  God 
alone.' 


154  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 


PARABLES  XXIV,  XXV,  XXVI. 

*  Then  shall  the  kingdom  of  heaven  be  likened  unto  ten  virgins,  which  took 
their  lamps,  and  went  foith  to  meet  the  bridegroom.  And  five  of  them  were 
wise,  and  five  were  foolish.  They  that  were  foolish  took  their  lamps,  and 
took  no  oil  with  them  :  but  the  wise  took  oil  in  their  vessels  with  their  lamps. 
While  the  bridegroom  tarried,  they  all  slumbered  and  slept.  And  at  mid- 
night there  was  a  cry  made,  Behold,  the  bridegroom  cometh,  go  ye  out  to 
meet  him.  Then  all  those  virgins  arose,  and  trimmed  their  lamps.  And 
the  foolish  said  unto  the  wise,  Give  us  of  your  oil,  for  our  lamps  are  gone 
out.  But  the  wise  answered,  saying,  Not  so  ;  lest  there  be  not  enough  for 
us  and  you;  but  go  ye  rather  to  them  that  sell,  and  buy  for  yourselves.  And 
while  they  went  to  buy,  the  bridegroom  came:  and  they  that  were  ready 
went  in  with  him  to  the  marriage  ;  and  the  door  was  shut.  Afterward  came 
also  the  other  virgins,  saying,  Lord,  Lord,  open  to  us.  But  he  answered 
and  said,  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  I  know  you  not.  Watch  therefore,  for  ye 
know  neither  the  day  nor  the  hour,  wherein  the  Son  of  man  cometh.' — 
Matt,  xxv,  1 — 13. 

'  For  thg  kingdom  of  heaven  is  as  a  man  travelling  into  a  far  country  who 
called  his  own  servants,  and  delivered  unto  them  his  goods.  And  unto  one 
he  gave  five  talents,  to  another  two,  and  to  another  one  ;  to  every  man 
according  to  his  several  ability  ;  and  straightway  took  his  journey.  Then 
he  that  had  received  the  five  talents,  went  and  traded  with  the  same,  and 
made  them  other  five  talents.  And  likewise  he  that  received  two,  he  also 
gained  other  two.  But  he  that  had  received  one  went  and  digged  in  the 
earth,  and  hid  his  lord's  money.  After  a  longtime,  the  lord  of  those  ser- 
vants cometh,  and  reckoneth  with  them.  And  so  he  that  had  received  five 
talents  came,  and  brought  other  five  talents,  saying,  Lord,  thou  deliveredst 
unto  me  five  talents  ;  behold,  I  have  gained  besides  them  five  talents  more. 
His  lord  said  unto  him,  Well  done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servant  ;  thou 
hast  been  faithful  over  a  few  things,  I  will  make  thee  ruler  over  many  things; 
enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  lord.  He  also  that  had  received  two  talents 
came,  and  said,  Lord,  thou  deliveredst  unto  me  two  talents;  behold  I  have 
gained  two  other  talents  besides  them.  His  lord  said  unto  him,  Well  dune, 
good  and  faithful  servant ;  thou  hast  been  faithful  over  a  few  things,  I  will 
make  thee  ruler  over  many  things  ;  enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  lord. 
Then  he  which  had  received  the  one  talent  came  and  said,  Lord,  1  knew 
thee  that  thou  art  an  hard  man,  reaping  where  thou  hast  not  sown,  and 
gathering  where  thou  hast  not  strewed;  And  I  was  afraid,  and  went  and 
hid  thy  talent  in  the  earth  ;  lo,  there  thou  hast  that  is  thine.  His  lord  an- 
swered and  said  unto  him,  Thou  wicked  and  slothful  servant,    thou  knewest 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  155 

that  I  reap  where  I  sowed  not,  and  gather  where  I  have  not  strewed;  thou 
oughtest  therefore  to  have  put  my  money  to  the  exchangers,  and  then  at  my 
coming  I  should  have  received  my  own  with  usury.  Take  therefore  the 
talent  from  him,  and  give  unto  him  which  hath  ten  talents.  For  unto  every 
one  that  hath  shall  be  given,  and  he  shall  have  abundance  ;  but  from  him 
that  hath  not,  shall  be  taken  away  even  that  which  he  hath.  And  cast  ye 
the  unprofitable  servant  into  utter  darkness ;  there  shall  be  weeping  and 
gnashing  of  teeth.' — Matt,  xxv,  14—30. 

'  When  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  his  glory,  and  all  the  holy  angela 
with  him,  then  shal'l  he  sit  upon  the  throne  of  his  glory.  And  before  him 
shall  be  gathered  all  nations  :  and  he  shall  separate  them  one  from  another, 
as  a  shepherd  divideth  his  sheep  from  the  goats;  and  he  shall  set  the  sheep 
on  his  right  hand,  bat  the  goats  on  the  left.  Then  shall  the  King  say  unto 
them  on  his  right  hand,  Come  ye  blessed  of  my  Fadier,  inherit  the  kingdom 
prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world.  For  I  was  an  hungered, 
and  ye  gave  me  meat ;  I  was  thirsty,  and  ye  gave  me  drink:  I  was  a  stran- 
ger, and  ye  took  me  in  ;  naked,  and  ye  clothed  me:  I  was  sick,  and  ye 
visited  me  :  I  was  in  prison,  and  ye  came  unto  me.  Then  shall  the  right- 
eous answer  him,  saying,  Lord,  when  saw  we  thee  au  hungered,  and  fed 
thee  *?  or  thirsty,  and  gave  thee  drink  1  W  hen  saw  we  thee  a  stranger, 
and  took  thee  in  1  or  naked,  and  clothed  thee  1  Or  when  saw  we  thee 
sick,  or  in  prison,  and  came  unto  thee  1  And  the  King  shall  answer,  and 
say  unto  them,  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  in  as  much  as  ye  have  done  it  unto 
one  of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me.  Then  shall 
he  say  also  unto  them  on  the  left  hand,  Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into  ever- 
lasting fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels.  For  I  was  an  hungered, 
and  ye  gave  me  no  meat  :  I  was  thirsty,  and  ye  gave  me  no  drink  :  I  was  a 
stranger,  and  ye  took  me  not  in:  naked,  and  ye  clothed  me  not:  sick,  and  in 
prison,  and  ye  visited  me  not.  Then  shall  they  also  answer  him,  saying, 
Lord,  when  saw  Ave  thee  an  hungered,  or  athirst,  or  a  stranger,  or  naked,  or 
sick,  or  in  prison,  and  did  not  minister  unto  thee  1  Then  shall  he  answer 
them  saying,  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  in  as  much  as  ye  did  it  not  to  one  of  the 
least  of  these,  ye  did  it  not  to  me.  And  these  shall  go  away  into  everlasting 
punishment:  but  the  righteous   into   life  eternal.' — Matt,  xxv,  31 — 46. 

There  are  three  parables  in  this  chapter,  and  it  is 
believed  that  they  all  represent  the  same  things.  And 
they  are  all  applied,  by  divines,  to  what  they  call  the 
last  and  general  Judgment.  The  five  foolish  virgins 
in  the  first  parable,  the  servant  who  received  the  one 
talent  in  the  second,  and  those  who  are  called  goats, 
on  the  left  hand  of  the  Son  of  man,  in  the  third  are 


156  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

supposed  to  represent  the  same  characters;  and  di- 
vines, who  believe  in  the  doctrine  of  a  final  separation 
of  the  human  family,  in  the  future  world,  and  the  end- 
less happiness  of  one  class  and  the  endless  misery  of 
the  other,  uniformly  apply  the  characters  above  men- 
tioned to  the  class  which  is  to  be  finally  and  forever 
miserable. 

Having  the  case  thus  clearly  stated,  let  us  next  de- 
termine to  whom  the  Saviour  delivered  the  discourse 
which  contains  these  parables.  See  chapter  xxiv,  3  : 
'And  as  he  sat  upon  the  mount,  of  Olives,  the  disciples 
came  unto  him  privately,  saying,  tell  us,  when  shall 
these  things  be  ?  And  what  shall  be  the  sign  of  thy 
coming,  and  of  the  end  of  the  world  ?'  Here  it  is  of 
importance  that  we  carefully  notice  the  fact,  that  all 
which  follows  in  this  24th  chapter  and  the  following, 
is  one  continued  reply  to  the  several  questions  which 
the  disciples  asked  him,  as  above  ;  and  also,  that  this 
long  reply  was  delivered  to  the  disciples  only,  and  to 
them  in  private. 

The  question  now  arises  why  the  divine  teacher  did 
not  deliver  these  parables  to  the  scribes,  Pharisees,  el- 
ders, doctors  and  the  Jews  in  general?  Again,  the 
inquiry  presents  itself,  why  the  Saviour  did  not  urge  it 
upon  his  disciples,  that  they  should  state  these  parables 
to  the  people,  in  their  preaching,  and  tell  them,  in  plain 
language,  that  these  parables  all  alluded  to  the  last 
judgment,  and  to  the  final  separation  of  the  human 
family  ?  It  does  not  appear  that  the  disciples  were 
directed  to  preach  these  parables  to  the  people  ;  nor 
can  we  learn  that  it  ever  came  into  the  minds  of  the  apos- 
tles to  use  these  parables  as  they  are  now  used,  by  those 
who  apply  them  as  has  been  stated,  to  a  final  division 
of  the  human  family. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  157 

It  is  one  of  the  most  important  labors,  to  which,  what 
is  now  called,  the  christian  ministry  is  directed,to  urge 
the  people  to  the  consideration  of  the  religion,  with  a 
view  to  be  prepared  to  meet  their  judge  at  the  solemn 
and  awful  tribunal,  which  our  preachers  contend  is  set 
forth  in  this  25th  chapter  of  Matthew. 

Our  queries,  on  this  subject,  have  already  called  up 
the  questions,  why  Jesus  Christ  did  not  deliver  these 
parables  to  the  Jews,  nor  direct  his  disciples  to  state  to 
them  their  substance?  or  why  the  disciples/in  their 
ministry  afterward  never  preached  this  last  judg- 
ment to  the  people,  as  their  master  had  preached  it  to 
them? 

By  a  careful  attention  to  the  manner  in  which  this 
geneial  subject  was  introduced,  and  to  the  order  in 
which  the  wisdom  of  the  Saviour  directed  it,  we  may 
very  easily  dispose  of  the  foregoing  queries,  and  arrive 
at  a  satisfactory  understanding  of  the  several  parables 
under  consideration. 

This  general  subject  begins  in  chapter  xxiii,  which 
contains  a  denunciation  on  the  religious  enemies  of 
Christ,  such  as  scribes,  Pharisees  and  doctors  of  the 
law,  and  on  the  city  of  Jerusalem.  The  two  following 
particulars  the  reader  is  requested  to  keep  in  recollec- 
tion :  1.  That  those  on  whom  the  Saviour  denounced 
the  judgments  of  heaven,  he  repeatedly  called  hypo- 
crites ;  and  2.  That  he  assured  them,  verse  16,  that  the 
judgment  which  he  denounced  would  be  executed  on 
that  generation. 

When  Jesus  had  ended  his  communication  to  the 
rulers  of  the  Jews,  and  to  all  the  different  characters 
whom  he  addressed,  as  stated  in  chapter  xxiii,  he 
went  out  and  departed  from  the  temple.  He  had  now 
finished  his  ministry,  as  it  respected  the  Jews,  and  de- 
14 


158  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

livered  to  them  his  last  message.  And  whoever  will 
carefully  read  this  chapter,  will  marvel  at  the  plain 
dealing  with  which  Jesus  treated  those  dignified  pro- 
fessors of  righteousness,  on  whom  he  denounced  the 
righteous  judgments  of  God.  ■  As  he  departed  from 
the  temple,  his  disciples  came  to  him,  for  to  show  him 
the  buildings  of  the  temple.  And  Jesus  said  unto 
them,  See  ye  not  all  these  things  ?  Verily  I  say  unto 
you,  there  shall  not  be  left  here  one  stone  upon  anoth- 
er that  shall  not  be  thrown  down.'  This  declaration 
concerning  the  temple  was  evidently  connected  with 
what  he  had  just  before  delivered  to  the  scribes,  Phari- 
sees and  doctors,  in  the  temple,  in  hearing  of  his  disci- 
ples ;  for  Jesus  had  just  before  closed  his  statements 
to  the  Jews,  by  speaking  of  the  desolation  of  their 
house.  The  account  proceeds  in  chap,  xxiv,  verse  3  : 
'  And  as  he  sat  upon  the  mount  of  Olives,  the  disciples 
came  unto  him  privately,  saying,  Tell  us,  when  shall 
these  things  be  ?  And  what  shall  be  the  sign  of  thy 
coming  and  of  the  end  of  the  world  ? '  The  reply  of 
Jesus  commences  with  the  4th  verse  of  this  chapter, 
and  continues  to  the  end  of  the  25th  chapter.  Begin- 
ning with  the  4th  verse  of  chapter  xxiv,  Jesus,  in  his 
reply,  speaks  of  the  destruction  of  the  Jews  and  their 
city,  together  with  the  signs  which  should  precede  that 
most  terrible  event,  until  he  comes  to  the  36th  verse. 
In  the  34th  verse  he  assured  his  disciples  that  that,  gen- 
eration should  not  pass  away  till  all  the  things  of  which 
he  had  been  speaking  should  be  fulfilled.  The  reader 
is  requested  duly  to  notice,  that  this  declaration  is  evi- 
dently connected  with  the  one  made  just  before,  which 
the  reader  has  already  been  requested  to  keep  in  mind, 
viz.  that  the  judgments  denounced  on  the  Jews  should 
be  executed  in  that  generation.     See  chapter  xxiii,  36. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  159 

There  is  another  circumstance  which  we  do  well  to  no- 
tice here ;  and  that  is,  that  among  the  things  which 
Jesus  told  his  disciples  should  take  place  in  that  gen- 
eration, his  coming  in  his  glory,  &c,  is  included.  See 
verses  30,  31  of  chapter  xxiv.  And  it  is  also  necessa- 
ry to  remark,  that  this  coming  of  Christ  is  the  same  as 
set  forth  in  the  last  parable  of  chapter  xxv,  which  our 
divines  are  in  the  habit  of  calling  the  last,  and  the  ge- 
neral judgment.  As  I  have  elsewhere,  and  in  a  num- 
ber of  instances,  shown  that  the  parable  of  the  sheep 
and  goats  was  spoken  to  represent  the  rejection  of  the 
Jews  and  their  dispersion,  and  the  reception  of  the 
Gentiles  to  the  privileges  of  the  gospel,  I  deem  it  un- 
necessary to  labor  to  substantiate  this  application  in 
this  place,  further  than  to  request  the  reader  to  notice 
that  the  coming  of  Christ,  set  forth  in  the  parable  of 
the  sheep  and  goats,  is  the  same  coming  of  which  men- 
tion is  made  in  the  preceding  chapter,  and  which 
Christ  said  should  take  place  in  that  generation. 
Whoever  will  carefully  notice  this,  will  be  fully  satis- 
fied that  our  divines  are  incorrect  in  applying  the  last 
parable  in  chapter  xxv,  to  a  future  judgment. 

Let  us  now  return  to  the  order  of  the  account  in 
chapter  xxiv.  See  verse  36,  '  But  of  that  day  and 
hour  knoweth  no  man,  no,  not  the  angels  of  heaven, 
but  my  Father  only.'  The  Saviour  then  proceeds  to 
compare  the  event  which  he  had  been  relating,  to  that 
of  the  flood,  and  at  the  42d  verse,  begins  a  special  ex- 
hortation to  his  disciples.  The  reader  will  keep  in 
mind,  that  Jesus  was  speaking  to  his  disciples  only, 
and  alone.  He  says :  '  Watch,  therefore,  for  ye  know 
not  what  hour  your  Lord  doth  come.  But  know  this, 
that  if  the  good  man  of  the  house  had  known  in  what 
watch  the  thief  would  come?  he  would  have  watched, 


160  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

and  would  not  have  suffered  his  house  to  be  broken 
up.  Therefore,  be  ye  also  ready ;  for  in  such  an  hour 
as  ye  think  not,  the  Son  of  man  cometh.'  Here  again 
is  the  same  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  of  which  Jesus 
speaks  in  the  last  parable  of  chapter  xxv,  which  our 
doctors  constantly  apply  to  the  last  judgment  in  the 
future  state.  But  who  will  undertake  to  account  for 
their  mistake  ?  Do  they  suppose  that  Jesus  meant  to 
exhort  his  disciples,  there  on  the  mount  of  Olives,  to 
keep  up  a  constant  watch,  looking  out  for  the  coming 
of  the  Son  of  man,  until  some  period  of  time  which  is 
now  future  ?  Do  they  suppose  that  these  disciples 
have,  ever  since  the  interview  which  they  had  with 
Jesus  privately  on  the  mount  of  Olives,  been  looking 
for  his  coming  ?  Nearly  eighteen  hundred  years  have 
passed  away  since  Jesus  told  his  disciples  that  he  should 
come  with  power  and  great  glory  in  that  generation, 
and  exhorted  them  to  watch  that  they  might  be  on 
their  guard  on  the  occasion ;  and  our  divines  contend 
that  he  has  not  come  yet!  And  to  keep  along  with 
their  error,  they  now  come  forward  with  these  exhor- 
tations, which  Jesus  delivered  to  his  disciples  in  pri- 
vate, and  insist  that  Jesus  meant  to  exhort  us,  in  this 
day,  to  watch  for  his  coming !  And  if  things  go  on  as  they 
have  done,  after  we  have  watched  all  the  days  of  our  lives, 
the  generations  which  may  come  upon  the  stage  hereaf- 
ter will  be  told  that  Jesus  meant  that  they  should  watch. 
It  is  possible  that  the  reader  may  wish  to  ask  why 
Jesus  exhorted  his  disciples  to  watch.  The  answer 
is,  because  his  coming  would  be  at  a  time  when,  if 
they  were  not  watchful,  they  might  least  expect  him  : 
and  also  because  the  coming  of  which  he  had  spoken 
to  them  was  for  the  desolation  of  Jerusalem,  and  if 
they  were  not  on  their  guard  they  would  be  shut  up 
in  the  city  by  armies  of  the  Romans.       Look  back 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  161 

to  verse  15th  and  onwards :  *  When  ye,  therefore, 
shall  see  the  abomination  of  desolation,  spoken  of  by 
Daniel  the  prophet,  stand  in  the  holy  place,  (whoso 
readeth  let  him  understand)  then  let  them  which  be 
in  Judea  flee  into  the  mountains :  let  him  which  is 
on  the  house  top  not  come  down  to  take  any  thing 
out  of  his  house  ;  neither  let  him  that  is  in  the  field 
return  back  to  take  his  clothes.  And  wo  unto  them 
that  are  with  child  and  to  them  that  give  suck  in  those 
days  !  But  pray  ye  that  your  flight  be  not  in  the  win- 
ter, neither  on  the  sabbath  day.  For  there  shall  be 
great  tribulation,  such  as  was  not  since  the  beginning 
of  the  world  to  this  time,  no,  nor  ever  shall  be.'  That 
his  disciples  might  watch  and  make  their  escape  from 
Jerusalem,  at  the  day  and  hour  of  danger,  Jesus  gave 
them  these  warnings  and  exhortations.  It  is  truly  hu- 
miliating to  hear  our  divines,  who  pride  themselves  in 
their  learning  and  in  their  high  attainments  in  the 
knowledge  of  the  holy  Scriptures,  now  urging  the  ex- 
hortations of  Jesus  to  his  disciples,  respecting  their  es- 
cape from  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  on  the  people 
of  our  day,  as  if  we  were  in  danger  of  being  shut  up  in 
that  ancient  city  by  the  Romans  who  destroyed  it  near- 
ly eighteen  hundred  years  ago  ! 

Let  us  return  to  the  account  as  it  proceeds  in  order. 
See  verse  45  and  onwards :  c  Who  then  is  a  faithful 
and  wise  servant,  whom  his  Lord  hath  made  ruler  over 
his  household,  to  give  them  meat  in  due  season?  Bless- 
ed is  that  servant  whom  his  Lord,  when  he  cometh, 
shall  find  so  doing.  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  that  he 
shall  make  him  ruler  over  all  his  goods.  But  if  that 
evil  servant  shall  say  in  his  heart,  My  Lord  delayeth 
his  coming ;  and  shall  begin  to  smite  his  fellow  ser- 
vants, and  to  eat  and  drink  with  the  drunken,  the 
14* 


162  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES- 

Lord  of  that  servant  shall  come  in  a  day  when  he  look- 
eth  not  for  him,  and  in  an  hour  that  he  is  not  aware 
of,  and  shall  cut  him  asunder,  and  appoint  him  his 
portion  with  the  hypocrites  ;  there  shall  be  weeping 
and  gnashing  of  teeth.'  The  reader  will  now  call  up 
what  he  was  requested  to  remember,  viz.  that  Jqsus 
called  those  on  whom  he  denounced  the  judgments  of 
heaven,  in  chapter  xxiii,  hypocrites,  by  which  it  appears 
that  the  divine  Teacher  intended  to  signify  to  his  disci- 
ples, that  if  they  neglected  their  duty,  got  off  their 
watch  and  proved  unfaithful  to  his  cause,  he  would,  at 
his  corning,  appoint  them  their  portion  with  those  hy- 
pocrites on  whom  they  had  just  heard  him  denounce 
destruction.  These  disciples  were  appointed  rulers 
over  the  household  of  their  divine  Master,  to  give  to 
his  household  their  meat  in  due  season  ;  and  if  they 
proved  faithful,  he  promised  them  promotion  ;  but  if 
they  should  prove  unfaithful,  he  would  devote  them  to 
the  same  destruction  which  he  had  just  denounced  on 
his  enemies,  the  Jews.  This  general  intimation  would 
properly  apply,  not  only  to  those  disciples  who  were 
then  present,  on  the  mount  of  Olives,  but  also  to  oth- 
ers, who  should,  in  their  day,  be  employed  in  the  gos- 
pel ministry. 

It  appears  evident  from  the  above,  that  the  Saviour 
was  informing  his  disciples  how  it  would  fare  with 
them  and  other  professors  of  Christianity,  at  the  time 
when  Jerusalem  should  be  destroyed,  and  the  Jews  dis- 
persed. 

The  25th  chapter  contains  three  parables,  which  evi- 
dently relate  to  events  set  forth  in  the  24th  chapter. 
But  care  should  be  taken  to  make  the  distinctions  in 
the  parables  according  to  their  evident  application. — 
The  two  first,   no  doubt  apply  to  the  disciples  of  Jesus ; 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  163 

the  last  applies  to  the  unbelieving  Jews  who  persecut- 
ed the  disciples,  to  christian  l>clievers  who  kindly  en- 
treated the  disciples,  and  to  the  disciples  themselves. 
The  disciples  of  Christ  and  professors  of  his  gospel 
were  represented  by  ten  virgins  in  the  first  parable; 
and  by  servants  who  received  different  sums  of  money 
in  the  second  ;  and  it  is  very  clear  that  these  two  par- 
ables apply  to  the  subject  with  which  the  24th  chap- 
ter closed.  Compare  the  close  of  that  chapter : 
'  There  shall  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth/  with 
the  close  of  the  second  parable  :  There  shall  be  weep- 
ing and  gnashing  of  teeth  :  '  The  reader  will  do  well  to 
open  to  the  place  and  carefully  read,  comparing  these 
two  first  parables  with  the  subject  treated  of  in  the  last 
of  the  24th  chapter,  which  will  supersede  the  neces- 
sity of  my  saying  more  on  this  part  of  the  subject. 

But  the  last  parable  has  a  more  extensive  applica- 
tion ;  for  there  are  evidently  three  classes  of  which  the 
judge  speaks :  the  sheep  on  the  right  hand,  the  goats 
on  the  left,  and  his  brethren  who  had  been  kindly  in- 
treated  by  those  on  his  right,  but  neglected  by  those 
on  his  left. 

Here  again  recollect,  that  Jesus  was  speaking  to  his 
disciples,  whom  he  was  about  to  employ  in  the  promul- 
gation of  his  gospel ;  and  as  he  had  just  before,  in 
this  discourse,  informed  them  that  they  would  be  per- 
secuted by  his  and  their  enemies,  he  now  gives  them 
to  understand,  that  he  would  treat  the  people,  when 
he  came  to  execute  the  judgments  which  he  had  just 
denounced  on  the  Jews,  accordingly  as  they  should 
treat  them.  These  disciples  he  calls  his  brethren,  and 
assures  them  that  any  favor  which  the  people  should 
show  them,  he  should  consider  as  shown  to  himself; 
any    neglect  with  which  they  should  be  treated,  he 


164  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

would  accept  as  done  to  himself.  The  conclusion  of 
this  parable  introduces  those,  who  received  the  gospel 
through  the  ministry  of  the  disciples,  and  intreated 
them  kindly,  to  the  life  and  peace  of  the  gospel  age ; 
but  consigns  the  enemies  of  the  gospel  and  of  the 
disciples  of  Jesus,  to  the  age  of  suffering  which  has, 
ever  since  that  generation,  been  the  lot  of  the  Jews, 
on  whom  Jesus  denounced  the  righteous  judgments  of 
heaven. 

The  reason  why  these  parables  were  not  delivered 
to  the  Jews,  appears  evident.  They  were  designed 
for  special  information  to  the  disciples  of  Christ,  which 
information  was  to  them  of  no  inconsiderable  advan- 
tage. It  gave  them  certain  signs  and  tokens  by  which 
they  would  know  when  to  leave  Jerusalem,  for  the  se- 
curity of  their  lives  ;  it  informed  them  of  the  necessity 
of  faithfulness  in  their  calling,  that  they  might  obtain 
his  approbation,  at  his  coming,  and  avoid  the  calami- 
ties which  he  would  at  that  time  execute  on  his  ene- 
mies. 

I  deem  it  unnecessary  to  be  more  particular  on 
these  parables,  which  were  evidently  introduced  into 
our  Saviour's  reply  to  his  disciples,  to  represent  various 
circumstances  relative  to  the  destruction  of  the  Jews 
and  their  city  and  temple ;  also  concerning  those  who 
should  profess  his  gospel,  or  propagate  his  religion  at 
the  time  when  those  judgments  were  executed  on  the 
Jews. 

The  reader  is  here  given  to  understand,  that  what 
goes  before,  in  relation  to  the  parables  therein  noticed, 
has  been  inserted  from  what  the  author  published  in 
the  Universalist  Magazine  in  1825,  in  room  of  the 
notes  originally  written. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  165 


ILLUSTRATION. 

Great  use  has  been  made  of  these  three  parables  to 
enforce  the  supposed  reality  of  a  day  of  judgment, 
when  all  the  people  who  have  ever  lived  on  this  earth 
will  personally  appear  before  the  judgment  seat  of 
Christ,  and  pass  a  formal  trial,  and  be  eternally  re- 
warded according  to  their  works.  So  that  after  mor- 
tality and  all  temporal  things  are  passed  away,  sin, 
condemnation  and  inconceivable  torments  will  be  the* 
endless  employment  and  sufferings  of  a  large  propor-' 
tion  of  the  family  of  mankind. 

Notwithstanding  this  opinion  has  been  long  estab- 
lished as  one  of  the  most  essential  articles  in  the  chris- 
tian faith,  has  been  supported  by  the  learned  doctors 
in  many  ages  of  the  church,  has  obtained   general  con- 
sent of  all  denominations  in  Christendom,  is  now  re- 
garded by  the  great  majority  of  christians  as  one  of  the; 
main  pillars  on  which  the  church  is  founded  ;  not- 
withstanding, it  is  their  pious  and  religious  opinion' 
that  if  this  sentiment  of  endless  damnation  should  lose*' 
credit  and  be  generally  disbelieved,  the  beautiful  fabric 
of  the  christian  church  would  give  way  at  the  founda- 
tion, and  become  a  heap  of  ruins ;  yet,  such  are  the 
contrary  views  which  are  taught  in  the  Scriptures  and 
infused  by  the  spirit  of  divine  truth,  such  are  the  sen- 
timents of  the  gospel  of  salvation,  which  are  entertain- 
ed, that  no  hesitation  is  felt  in  directing  an  argument 
against  this  general  opinion,  which,   without  doubt, 
will  prove  it  erroneous.     That  the  opinion  is  an  error, 


166  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

is  evident,  and  must  so  be  considered,  from  the  fol- 
lowing important  and  self-evident  facts. 

1.  A  God  of  infinite  wisdom,  knowledge,  power, 
goodness,  justice  and  holiness,  can  never  will  that 
which  amounts  to  an  infinite  evil.  This  proposition  is 
surely  self-evident,  as  there  could  not  be  found  a  pos- 
sibility of  describing  injustice,  or  unholiness,  or  the 
contrary  to  infinite  goodness,  if  infinite  evil  be  consis- 
tent with  infinite  justice,  goodness  and  holiness. 

2.  If  any  portion  of  the  human  family  are  finally 
doomed  to  endless  misery,  it  must  have  been  the  di- 
yine  determination,  even  before  the  creation  of  man. 
This  is  self-evident,  as  it  is  not  possible  to  maintain 
the  infinite  knowledge  of  the  Deity  unless  it  be  allow- 
ed. 

I  No  one  would  be  unwilling  to  allow  that  the  divine 
being  knew,  before  he  made  mankind,  what  would  be 
the  issue  of  every  trial  which  it  is  supposed,  will  take 
place  at  the  day  of  judgment.  If  God  knew  how  he 
himself  would  decide  every  case,  it  surely  amounts  to 
this,  that  every  case  was  then  decided  in  his  unchange- 
able mind. 

3.  Allowing  it  to  have  been  the  divine  determina- 
tion, even  before  man  was  made,  that  any  should  be 
endlessly  miserable,  it  is  self-evident,  that  this  determi- 
nation was  not  pursuant  to  any  act,  or  acts,  of  those 
Creatures  of  his,  thus  designed  for  such  misery ;  but 
that  it  was  pursuant  or  consonant  to  the  divine  perfec- 
tions, so  to  determine.  This  being  granted,  all  pre- 
ensions  about  endless  punishment,  pursuant  to  the 
lin  of  the  punished,  is  utterly  preposterous  and  decep- 
tive. 

4.  Without  saying  any  thing  about  the  divine  per- 
fections, or  the  divine   determinations,   it  is  a  self-evi- 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  167 

dent  fact,  that  neither  endless  happiness,  or  endless 
misery,  is  according  to  the  virtues  or  the  vices  of 
mankind  in  a  finite  state  and  in  a  limited  time.  This 
we  know  to  be  self-evident,  as  well  as  we  know  that 
an  hour  is  not  a  thousand  years ;  or  as  well  as  we 
know  that  no  given  time  is  equal  to  eternity ;  as  well 
as  we  know  that  finite  virtue  is  not  according  to  infi- 
nite holiness,  or  as  well  as  we  know  that  a  finite  vice 
is  not  according  to  infinity. 

5.  It  is  self-evident  that  there  is  not  an  infinite  dif- 
ference between  the  most  virtuous  and  the  most  vicious 
of  the  finite,  imperfect  sons  of  Adam.  And  just  as 
well  as  we  know  this,  so  well  we  know  that  there  can- 
not be  an  infinite  difference  in  any  rewards  which  are 
according  to  their  works. 

6.  It  is  evident  that  a  doctrine  which  denies  the 
above  self-evident  facts,  and  a  thousand  more  besides, 
which  might  be  stated,  if  necessary,  is  not  a  doctrine 
taught  by  the  Scriptures  of  divine  inspiration.  And 
that  the  subject,  to  which  the  thread  of  discourse, 
where  the  above  parables  are  found,  applies  those 
parables,  has  no  allusion  to  any  such  circumstances  or 
facts,  as  are  generally  supposed,  will  now  be  attempt- 
ed to  be  shown  ;  and  that  in  accordance  with  the  ge- 
neral testimony  of  the  Scriptures  on  this  subject. 

The  reader  who  wishes  for  scripture  information 
on  this  important  discussion,  will  by  no  means  con- 
ceive that  his  patience  is  burdened,  though  the  subject 
be  labored  in  somewhat  of  a  labored  and  particular 
manner.  More  particularly  does  it  appear  necessary 
to  show  that  this  25th  of  Matthew  has  been  erroneously 
understood,  because  when  this  is  proved,  it  is  not  ex- 
pected that  much  confidence  will  be  placed  in  a  doc- 
trine which  is  deserted  by  such  a  main  pillar  as  this 


168  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

chapter  has  been  considered  to  be.  To  show  that  the 
general  opinion  of  this  chapter  is  inconsistent  with  the 
thread  of  discourse  into  which  it  was  introduced,  it 
appears  necessary  to  determine  with  all  the  certainty 
possible, 

1.  The  time  when  the  circumstances  existed  to 
which  the  parables  allude. 

2.  Out  of  the  arguments  which  determine  the  first 
particular,  show  the  true  application  of  those  parables, 
and 

3.  By  the  assistance  of  the  Scriptures,  show  that 
the  common  use  of  these  parables  is  contrary  to  the 
scheme  of  the  gospel. 

It  is  necessary  to  observe  that  this  chapter  begins 
with  the  word  then,  the  use  of  which  word  is  to  show 
that  the  kingdom  of  heaven  would  be  likened  unto  ten 
virgins,  five  of  whom  were  wise  and  five  of  whom 
were  foolish,  at  a  time  which  the  speaker  had  before 
determined.  Thus  we  are  naturally  led  back  into  the 
24th  chapter  in  search  of  this  time.  And  here  it  is 
well  to  notice,  that  our  Saviour  made  no  divisions  of 
chapters  ;  chapter  divisions  in  the  Scriptures  being  a 
late  work  for  the  convenience  of  fixing  a  concordance 
to  the  texts  of  the  Scripture.  When  our  Saviour 
spoke  the  above  parables,  no  more  than  a  common  pe- 
riod divided  what  is  written  in  the  25th  from  what  is 
written  in  the  24th  chapter.  The  last  particular  sub- 
ject noted  in  the  24th  chapter,  is  what  the  lord  of  the 
undutiful  servant  would  do  when  he  should  come  in  a 
day  when  the  servant  looketh  not  for  him.  This  was 
to  cut  him  asunder,  and  to  appoint  him  his  portion 
with  the  hypocrites,  where  there  are  weeping  and  gnash- 
ing of  teeth.  It  will  not  be  contested  that  the  time  of 
the  lord's  coming,  here  noticed,  is  the  time  when  the 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  169 

bridegroom  cometh,  noticed  in  the  parable  of  the  vir- 
gins ;  the  time  in  which  the  lord  of  the  servants  came 
to  reckon  with  them,  noticed  in  the  parable  of  the 
talents ;  and  the  time  when  the  Son  of  man  should 
come  in  his  glory  with  his  holy  angels,  noticed  in  the 
parable  of  the  sheep  and  goats.  But  we  must  further 
query,  when  to  fix  this  time  ;  for  it  is  only  said  in  the 
last  of  the  24th,  that  the  lord  of  that  servant  shall 
come  in  a  day  when  he  looketh  not  for  him.  The 
44th  verse  of  chapter  xxiv,  reads  thus  :  '  Therefore 
be  ye  also  ready :  for  in  such  an  hour  as  ye  think 
not,  the  Son  of  man  cometh.'  This  does  not  fix  the 
time.  The  36th  verse  reads  thus :  '  But  of  that  day 
and  hour  knoweth  no  man,  no,  not  the  angels  of  hea- 
ven, but  my  Father  only.'  By  this  we  cannot  deter- 
mine the  time  so  nicely  as  to  fix  it  to  a  day  nor  an 
hour.  Here  we  come  to  a  spot  where  caution  is  par- 
ticularly necessary.  In  the  36  verse  where  the  Sa- 
viour says,  ■  But  of  that  day  and  hour  knoweth  no 
man,  &c,  he  evidently  alludes  to  a  particular  time 
which  he  had  confined  within  the  limits  of  a  more  gen- 
eral one.  See  verse  32,  &c.  '  Now  learn  a  parable 
of  the  fig-tree :  when  his  branch  is  yet  tender,  and  put- 
teth  forth  leaves,  ye  know  that  summer  is  nigh  :  so 
likewise  ye,  when  ye  shall  see  all  these  things,  know 
that  it  is  near,  even  at  the  doors.  Verily  I  say  unto 
you,  this  generation  shall  not  pass,  till  all  these  things 
be  fulfilled.  Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but 
my  word  shall  not  pass  away.'  The  next  words  are 
those  before  quoted.  But  of  that  day  and  hour  know- 
eth no  man,  &c.  What  day  and  hour  ?  Answer,  a 
day  and  an  hour  which  would  certainly  come  in  that 
generation. 

15 


170  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

It  may  now  be  very  proper  to  look  and  see  what 
things  are  meant,  where  it  is  said,  '  This  generation 
shall  not  pass  till  all  these  things  be  fulfilled. '  These 
things  here  mentioned  are  ail  those  things  of  which 
Christ  spoke  in  the  preceding  part  of  his  discourse, 
which  begins  in  the  4th  verse,  and  is  an  answer  to 
questions  which  were  stated  by  the  disciples  in  the  3d 
verse,  and  consists  of  the  following  particulars  : 

1 .  Many  should  come  in  the  name  of  Christ  and  de- 
ceive many. 

2.  There  should  be  wars  and  rumors  of  wars. 

3.  There  should  be  famines,  and  pestilences,  and 
earthquakes  in  divers  places,  which  are  said  to  be  the 
beginning  of  sorrows. 

4.  Some  of  the  disciples  should  be  persecuted  unto 
death;  they  should  be  delivered  up  to  be  afflict- 
ed, and  should  be  hated  of  all  nations  for  the  name  of 
Christ. 

5.  Many  should  be  offended,  should  hate  and  betray 
one  another. 

6.  Many  false  prophets  should  arise  and  deceive 
many. 

7.  On  account  of  the  abounding  of  iniquity,  the 
love  of  many  should  wax  cold. 

8.  The  gospel  of  the  kingdom  should  be  preached 
in  all  the  world,  for  a  witness  unto  all  nations  ;  and 
then  the  end  should  come.  That  is,  the  end  of  the 
world,  of  which  the  disciples  asked  him  in  the  3d 
verse. 

9.  The  disciples  would  see  the  prophecy  of  Daniel 
fulfilled,  where  he  speaks  in  chap,  ix,  27,  of  the 
ceasing  of  the  sacrifice  and  oblation,  and  of  the 
overspreading  of  the  abomination  which  maketh  deso- 
late. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  171 

10.  He  exhorts  the  disciples,  when  they  should  see 
the  prophecy  of  Daniel  fulfilled,  to  flee  into  the  moun- 
tains, if  they  should  happen  to  be  in  Judea  ;  and  that 
without  any  delay. 

11.  A  woe  is  pronounced  on  those  who  should  be 
with  child,  and  those  who  should  give  suck,  in  that 
time  of  trouble  and  distress. 

12.  The  disciples  are  directed  to  pray  that  their 
flight  may  not  happen  in  the  winter  nor  on  the  Sab- 
bath day. 

13.  There  should  then  be  a  time  of  great  tribulation, 
such  as  was  not  since  the  beginning  of  the  world  to 
that  time,  and  such  as  never  should  again  happen. 

14.  As  no  flesh  could  be  saved,  unless  those  days 
were  shortened,  they  should  be  shortened  for  the 
elect's  sake. 

15.  False  prophets  should  arise  and  show  great  signs 
and  wonders. 

16.  He  exhorts  his  disciples  against  any  vain  preten- 
sions that  Christ  is  more  in.  one  place  than  another,  and 
informs  them  that  as  the  lightning  cometh  out  of  the 
east,  and  shineth  even  unto  the  west,  so  would  be  the 
coming  of  the  Son  of  man. 

17.  Immediately  after  those  great  tribulations,  the 
sun  should  be  darkened,  and  the  moon  should  not  give 
her  light,  and  the  stars  should  fall  from  heaven,  and 
the  powers  of  the  heaven  should  be  shaken. 

18.  Then  should  appear  the  sign  of  the  Son  of  man 
in  heaven ;  and  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  should 
mourn,  and  see  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  the  clouds 
of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory. 

19.  The  son  of  man  should  send  his  angels,  with  a 
great  sound  of  a  trumpet,  who  should  gather  together 
his  elect  from  the  four  winds,  from  one  end  of  heaven 
to  the  other. 


172  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

After  having  stated  all  these  particulars  more  cir- 
cumstantially than  they  are  here  stated,  he  uses  the 
parable  of  the  fig-tree  to  show  them  the  nearness  of 
the  time  of  the  accomplishment  of  all  things  of  which 
they  had  asked  him.  See  the  32d  verse  and  onward, 
which  has  been  noticed  :  '  Now  learn  a  parable  of  the 
fig-tree  :  when  his  branch  is  yet  tender,  and  putteth 
forth  leaves,  ye  know  that  summer  is  nigh  ;  so  likewise 
ye,  when  ye  shall  see  all  these  things,  know  that  it  is 
near  even  at  the  doors.'  Then  he  limits  all  to  that 
generation,  in  as  positive  a  manner  as  possible.  See 
verses  34,  35 :  c  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  this  genera- 
tion shall  not  pass  till  all  these  things  be  fulfilled. 
Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but  my  word  shall 
not  pass  away.'  It  may  be  well  to  notice  in  this  place 
the  queries  which  the  disciples  stated  to  Christ ;  and 
what  led  them  to  propose  them  :  see  verse  3  :  '  And 
as  he  sat  upon  the  mount  of  Olives,  the  disciples  came 
unto  him  privately,  saying,  Tell  us,  when  shall  these 
things  be  ?  and  what  shall  be  the  sign  of  thy  coming, 
and  of  the  end  of  the  world  ? '  The  occasion,  which 
led  the  disciples  to  state  the  above  questions,  is  found, 
partly  in  the  preceding  chapter,  and  partly  in  the  dec- 
laration of  Christ  concerning  the  temple,  recorded  in 
the  2d  verse  of  the  24th.  In  chapter  xxiii,  Jesus  deliv- 
ered a  very  plain  and  most  alarming  discourse  to  the 
scribes  and  Pharisees ;  towards  the  conclusion  of 
which  he  informed  them,  that  the  wickedness  of  their 
ancestors  and  their  own  wickedness,  would  be  pun- 
ished immediately.  See  verse  34,  &c.  '  Wherefore, 
behold,  I  send  unto  you  prophets,  and  wise  men,  and 
scribes  ;  and  some  of  them  ye  shall  kill  and  crucify  ; 
and  some  of  them  shall  ye  scourge  in  your  synagogues, 
and  persecute  them  from  city   to  city ;  that  upon  you 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  173 

may  come  all  the  righteous  blood  shed  upon  the  earth, 
from  the  blood  of  righteous  Abel  unto  the  blood  of 
Zacharias,  son  of  Barachias,  whom  ye  slew  between 
the  temple  and  the  altar.     Verily  I  say  unto  you,  all 
these  things  shall  come  upon  this  generation.'     Here 
observe,  he  informs  them  that  judgment  would  not  be 
delayed  beyond  that  generation  ;  which   agrees  with 
the  time  which  he  limits  in  the  24th  chapter  for  the 
fulfilment  of  all  things  of  which  he  spake.     Jesus  then 
in  a  most  bitter  and  affectionate  lamentation,  informs 
them  that  their  house  should  be  left  desolate,  and  that 
they  should  not  see  him  henceforth,   till  they  should 
say,  '  Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord.'     After  closing  this  discourse,  Jesus  went  out  and 
departed   from  the  temple  ;  and  his  disciples  came  to 
him  to   show   him   the     buildings    of    the     temple ; 
'  And  Jesus  said   unto  them,  See    ye  not   all   these 
things  ?     Verily  I  say  unto  you,  there  shall  not  be  left 
here  one  stone  upon  another,  that  shall  not  be  thrown 
down.'     What  he  had  said  to  the  scribes  and   Phari- 
sees of  the  judgment  which  would  come  upon  that 
generation,  and  of  the  desolation  of  their  house  ;  and 
what  he  said  to  the  disciples  of  not  one     stone  being 
left  upon  another,  led  them  to  state  the  queries  which 
we  find  in  the  3d  verse.     To  those  queries,  Jesus  di- 
rected   his  subsequent   discourse ;  and   all  which  he 
said,  till  he  ended  that  discourse,  he  directed  to  the 
general  topic  of  their  queries.     This  discourse  contin- 
ues to  the  close  of  the  25th  chapter.     When  Jesus  had 
informed  his  disciples,  as  has  been  noticed,  in  the  34th 
verse  of  the  24th  chapter,  that  all  the  things  which  he 
had  informed  them  of,  would  take  place  in  that  gene- 
ration, he  said,  as  has  been  noticed  before,  see  verse 
36,  '  But  of  that  day  and  hour  knoweth  no  man,  no, 
15* 


174  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

not  the  angels  of  heaven,  but  my  Father  only.'  Here 
it  is  as  evident  as  language  can  make  any  thing,  that 
Jesus  alluded  to  a  day,  and  an  hour,  which  would  sure- 
ly take  place  in  that  generation.  He  then  proceeds  to 
show  how  things  would  be  in  relation  to  a  number  of 
particulars,  at  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man,  which  he 
before  said  should  be  in  that  generation.  Thus  he 
proceeds  to  the  end  of  the  24th  chapter,  having  allu- 
sion to  no  other  time  than  to  that  unknown  day  and 
hour  which  should  as  surely  take  place  in  that  genera- 
tion, as  his  words  were  true  ;  and  he  begins  the  25th 
chapter,  saying,  '  Then  shall  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
be  likened  unto  ten  virgins,'  &c.  Thus  we  find  the 
three  parables  in  the  25th  chapter  all  directed  to  rep- 
resent, by  similitudes,  what  he  had  before,  in  part, 
delineated.  It  is  thought  more  proper  to  say  in  part, 
because  there  are  some  particulars  embraced  in  the 
parables,  which  are  not  delineated  in  the  preceding 
part  of  the  discourse. 

As  there  are  in  all  the  dispensations  of  divine  Provi- 
dence, an  outward  and  an  inward  order,  or  in  other 
words,  a  physical  and  a  moral  sense  ;  so  it  is  just  to 
understand  the  whole  of  Christ's  discourse,  in  answer 
to  his  disciples.  The  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  in 
the  dispensation  of  temporal  judgment  on  the  Jewish 
nation,  was  to  destroy  them  as  a  people,  to  reduce 
the  remaining  political  power  which  they  retained  un- 
der the  Roman  government,  to  destroy  the  city  of  Je- 
rusalem and  the  temple,  and  to  pour  confusion  and 
affliction  on  the  Jews,  and  finally  to  bring  on  that 
people  a  time  of  trouble  such  as  man  never  before  ex- 
perienced. The  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  in  the  dis- 
pensation of  the  gospel,  was  to  destroy  the  whole  heav- 
ens of  religious  order,  to  put  out  the    lights  of  the  Le- 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  175 

vitical  priesthood,  and  to  shut  the  door  against  the 
Jews,  so  that  their  darkness  and  unbelief  should  effect 
all  which  the  prophets  had  allotted  to  that  cause,  and 
to  introduce  the  Gentiles  to  the  light  of  the  gospel,  to 
the  bride-chamber  of  the  spiritual  bridegroom,  and  to 
the  knowledge  of  eternal  life. 

As  it  seems  reasonable  to  hope  that  enough  has  been 
said  to  satisfy  the  candid  reader  as  to  the  time  of  the 
fulfilment  of  the  scriptures  under  consideration,  notice 
will  now  be  taken,  as  was  proposed, 

2.  Of  the  true  application  of  these  parables. 

Some  general  hints  having  already  been  given,  on 
this  subject,  what  remains  to  be  done  may  be  soon  ac- 
complished. 

L  The  kingdom  of  heaven  should  be  likened  unto 
ten  virgins,  where  the  Son  of  man  should  come  in  the 
clouds  of  heaven  ;  as  described  in  verse  30,  of  the  24th 
chapter. 

2.  The  lord  of  the  servants  should  come  and  reckon 
with  them,  when  the  kingdom  of  heaven  should  be 
likened  unto  ten  virgins. 

3.  The  Son  of  man  came  in  his  glory,  with  all  his 
holy  angels,  when  he  sent  his  angels  with  a  great  sound 
of  a  trumpet  to  gather  together  his  elect  from  the  four 
winds,  from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other,  as  describ- 
ed in  verse  31,  of  the  24th  chapter. 

Here  the  reader  will  observe  that  the  true  applica- 
tion of  these  parables  evidently  grows  out  of  the  time 
to  which  they  allude.  In  the  question  stated  by  the 
disciples,  they  ask  when  the  things  should  be,  of  which 
he  had  spoken  to  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  and  to 
themselves  what  the  sign  of  his  coming  and  the  end 
of  the  world  should  be ;  and  he  goes  on  to  answer 
them,  and   continues  his  answer  to  the  close  of  the 


176  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

25th  chapter,  as  has  been  before  observed.  This  is 
the  reason  why  these  parables  have  always  been  ap- 
plied to  the  end  of  the  world ;  and  such  an  applica- 
tion is  acknowledged  just ;  but  the  common  idea  of 
the  end  of  the  world  is  unscriptural.  The  end  of  the 
world  of  which  the  disciples  asked  Jesus,  and  of  which 
he  spoke  in  his  answer,  was  in  that  generation.  In 
verse  6,  of  the  24th  chapter,  Jesus  says,  '  And  ye  shall 
hear  of  wars  and  rumors  of  wars  ;  see  that  ye  be  not 
troubled:  for  all  these  things  must  come  to  pass,  but 
the  end  is  not  yet.''  In  verse  14  he  says,  '  And  this 
gospel  of  the  kingdom  shall  be  preached  in  all  the 
world,  for  a  witness  unto  all  nations,  and  then  shall 
the  end  come?  St.  Paul  speaks  of  the  end  of  the 
world  in  1  Cor.  x,  11  :  'Now  all  these  things  happen- 
ed unto  them  for  ensamples ;  and  they  are  writ- 
ten for  our  admonition,  upon  whom  the  ends  of  the 
world  are  come.'  Again  in  Heb.  ix,  26  :  '  But  now 
once  in  the  end  of  the  world,  hath  he  appeared,  to 
put  away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  himself  In  the  de- 
scription of  the  end  of  the  world,  it  is  very  proper 
to  represent  a  cessation  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  such 
as  the  sun  being  darkened,  and  the  moon  not  giving 
her  light,  and  the  stars  falling  from  heaven,  and  the 
powers  of  the  heavens  being  shaken.  This  description 
we  have  in  the  29th  verse  of  the  24th  chapter,  as 
what  should  take  place  in  that  generation.  That  such 
figures  are  used  in  Scripture  to  represent  the  destruc- 
tion of  cities  and  the  calamities  of  nations,  may  be 
learned  from  the  following  pa>sages.  See  the  desola- 
tion of  Babylon  described  in  Isaiah  xiii,  9,  10:  'Be- 
hold the  day  of  the  Lord  cometh,  cruel  both  with 
wrath  and  fierce  anger,  to  lay  the  land  desolate :  and 
he  shall  destroy  the  sinners  out  of  it.     For  the  stars  of 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  177 

heaven,  and  the  constellations  thereof,  shall  not  give 
their  light :  the  sun  shall  be  darkened  in  his  going 
forth,  and  the  moon  shall  not  cause  her  light  to  shine.' 
Again,  the  judgments  of  God  upon  Idumea,  Isaiah 
xxxiv,  4 :  <  And  all  the  hosts  of  heaven  shall  be  dis- 
solved, and  the  heavens  shall  be  rolled  together  as  a 
scroll :  and  all  their  hosts  shall  fall  down,  as  the  leaf 
falleth  off  from  the  vine,  and  as  a  falling  fig  from  the 
fig-tree.'  See  the  destruction  of  Egypt,  Ezekiel  xxxii, 
7,  8 :  '  And  when  I  shall  put  thee  out,  I  will  cover  the 
heaven,  and  make  the  stars  thereof  dark  ;  I  will  cover 
the  sun  with  a  cloud,  and  the  moon  shall  not  give  her 
light.  All  the  bright  lights  of  heaven  will  I  make  dark 
over  thee,  and  set  darkness  upon  thy  land,  saith  the 
Lord  God.'  The  prophet  Joel,  chap,  ii,  28,  29,  30, 
31,  alludes  to  the  subject  on  which  we  are  now  treating. 
c  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  afterward  that  I  will  pour 
out  my  spirit  upon  all  flesh ;  and  your  sons  and  your 
daughters  shall  prophecy,  your  old  men  shall  dream 
dreams,  and  your  young  men  shall  see  visions  :  and  al- 
so upon  the  servants  and  upon  the  handmaids  in  those 
days  will  I  pour  out  my  spirit.  And  I  will  show  won- 
ders in  the  heavens  and  in  the  earth,  blood,  and  fire 
and  pillars  of  smoke.  The  sun  shall  be  turned  into 
darkness,  and  the  moon  into  blood,  before  the  great 
and  terrible  day  of  the  Lord  come.'  On  the  day,  of 
Pentecost,  Peter  declared  this  prophecy  of  Joel  to  be 
fulfilling  ;  see  Acts  ii,  14,  &c.  '  But  Peter  standing 
up  with  the  eleven,  lifted  up  his  voice,  and  said  unto 
them,  Ye  men  of  Judea,  and  all  ye  that  dwell  at  Jeru- 
salem, be  this  known  unto  you,  and  hearken  to  my 

words This  is  that  which   was  spoken  by  the 

prophet  Joel,  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  the  last 
days,  saith  God,  I  will  pour  out  of  my  spirit  upon  all 
flesh,'  &c. 


178 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 


3.  It  was  proposed  to  show  that  the  common  use 
of  these  parables  is  contrary  to  the  scheme  of  the  gos- 
pel. It  would  seem  that  the  plain,  positive  and  par- 
ticular testimony  of  Jesus,  that  those  things  of  which 
he  spoke  to  his  disciples,  in  answer  to  their  questions, 
should  be  fulfilled  in  that  generation,  was  sufficient  to 
show,  to  the  satisfaction  of  any  unprejudiced  mind, 
that  the  application  of  these  parables  to  a  future  and 
eternal  state  of  existence,  is  totally  erroneous.  How- 
ever, on  a  subject  of  so  much  consequence,  it  cannot 
be  improper  to  show  that  the  common  use  of  these 
parables  is  directly  against  the  general  scheme  of  the 
gospel.  God  preached  the  gospel  to  Abraham,  saying, 
In  thee  shall  all  nations  be  blessed.  See  Gal.  iii,  8: 
This  blessing  is  said  to  be  justification  through  faith, 
in  the  text  referred  to.  Now,  can  it  be  thought  rea- 
sonable to  suppose  that  those  who  are  blessed  in 
Christ,  with  justification  through  faith,  will  suffer  in 
never  ending  rebellion  against  God  ?  See  Rom.  iii, 
23,  24 :  c  For  all  have  sinned,  and  come  short  of  the 
glory  of  God :  being  justified  freely  by  his  grace, 
through  the  redemption  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus ; '  iv, 
25 :  '  Who  was  delivered  for  our  offences,  and  was 
raised  again  for  our  justification  ; '  v,  18 :  '  Therefore, 
as  by  the  offence  of  one,  judgment  came  upon  all  men 
unto  condemnation ;  even  so  by  the  righteousness  of 
one,  the  free  gift  came  upon  all  men  unto  justification 
of  life.'  Again,  do  we  do  justice  to  the  Scriptures, 
when  contrary  to  the  connexion  in  which  a  passage 
is  found,  we  apply  it  to  prove  that  those  who  are  freely 
justified  by  the  grace  of  God,  through  the  redemption 
that  is  in  Christ  Jesus,  by  his  resurrection  from  the 
dead,  and  by  his  righteousness,  will  be  finally  adjudg- 
ed and  condemned  to  never  ending  punishment,  by 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  179 

that  very  mediator   who  died  for  their  offences,  and 
rose  again  for  their  justification  ? 

Again,  the  scheme  of  the  gospel  is  universal  recon- 
ciliation. See  Eph.  i,  9,  10:  'Having  made  known 
unto  us  the  mystery  of  his  will,  according  to  his  good 
pleasure,  which  he  hath  purposed  in  himself:  that  in 
the  dispensation  of  the  fulness  of  times  he  might  gath- 
er together  in  one  all  things  in  Christ,  which  are  in 
heaven,  and  which  are  on  earth,  even  in  him.'  Phil. 
ii,  9,  10,  11  :  '  Wherefore  God  also  hath  highly  exalted 
him,  and  given  him  a  name  which  is  above  every 
name ;  that  at  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should 
bow;  of  things  in  heaven,  and  things  in  earth,  and 
things  under  the  earth ;  and  that  every  tongue  should 
confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God 
the  Father.'  Col.  i,  19,  20:  'For  it.  pleased  the  Fa- 
ther, that  in  him  should  all  fulness  dwell ;  and  (hav- 
ing made  peace  through  the  blood  of  his  cross)  by 
him  to  reconcile  all  things  unto  himself:  by  him,  I  say, 
whether  they  be  things  in  earth,  or  things  in  heaven.' 
It  seems  that  if  St.  Paul  had  known  what  kind  of  tes- 
timony would  be  necessary,  in  this  day,  to  silence  the 
arguments  of  antichrist,  he  could  not  have  furnished 
any  that  would  have  been  more  to  the  purpose. 
Who  will  undertake  to  show  the  propriety  of  suppos- 
ing that  those  who  are  gathered  together  in  Christ, 
who  bow  the  knee  of  adoration  in  the  name  of  Jesus, 
and  confess  him  Lord  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father ; 
who  are  reconciled  to  God,  through  the  peace  made 
by  the  blood  of  the  cross,  will  suffer  endless  exclusion 
from  this  reconciler  of  all  things  ?  Where  is  the  pro- 
priety of  making  use  of  parables,  which  were  spoken, 
and  applied  to  events  which  took  place  in  the  first 
century  of  the  Christian  era,  to  prove  the  endless  pun- 
ishment of  those  for  whom  Christ  died  ? 


180  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

As  it  has  been  shown,  in  the  most  ample  manner, 
that  our  Saviour  applied  these  parables  to  represent 
the  favorable  reception  with  which  some  would  be 
blessed  in  the  kingdom  of  his  grace,  on  the  one  hand, 
and  the  rejection  of  that  part  of  Israel  who  rejected 
him,  on  the  other,  it  may  be  proper  to  show  that  it  is 
contrary  to  the  scheme  of  the  gospel,  so  to  explain 
those  parables  as  to  prevent  the  return  of  those  reject- 
ed or  blinded  Jews.  In  the  discourse  which  Jesus 
delivered  to  the  Pharisees,  in  which  he  forwarned  them 
of  those  judgments  to  which  he  applied  the  parables, 
there  are  the  following  things  worthy  of  notice,  which 
apply  to  the  present  subject : 

1.  The  character  in  which  Jesus  represented  those 
Pharisees. 

2.  The  punishment  which  he  pronounced  on 
them. 

3.  The  spirit  and  disposition  which  he  manifested 
on  the  occasion  ;  and, 

4.  His  prophecy  of  their  finally  obtaining  favor. 

1.  See  Matt,  xxiii,  13:  'But  wo  unto  you,  scribes 
and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  ?  for  ye  shut  up  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  against  men  :  for  ye  neither  go  in 
yourselves,  neither  suffer  ye  them  that  are  entering,  to 
go  in.'  He  goes  on  still  calling  them  hypocrites, 
fools  and  blind  guides,  who  paid  tithes  of  mint,  of 
anise  and  cummin,  but  omitted  the  weightier  matters 
of  the  law,  judgment,  mercy  and  faith.  He  likens 
them  unto  whited  sepulchres,  which  indeed  appear 
beautiful  outward,  but  are  within  full  of  dead  men's 
bones,  and  of  all  uncleanness.  He  calls  them  ser- 
pents, and  a  generation  of  vipers ;  and  many  other 
representations  he  makes  of  their  wickedness. 

2.  He  pronounced  on  them  the  damnation  of  hell. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  181 

See  verses  32,  33  :  '  Fill  ye  up  then  the  measure  of 
your  fathers.  Ye  serpents,  ye  generation  of  vipers  ! 
how  can  ye  escape  the  damnation  of  hell  ? ' 

3.  We  learn  the  spirit  and  disposition  which  Jesus 
manifested  towards  those  serpents,  and  this  genera- 
tion of  vipers,  by  the  language  of  the  37th  verse  :  '  O 
Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  thou  that  killest  the  prophets, 
and  stonest  them  which  are  sent  unto  thee,  how  often 
would  I  have  gathered  thy  children  together,  even  as 
a  hen  gathereth  her  chickens  under  her  wings,  and  ye 
would  not  1 '  The  natural  sense  of  the  above  language 
is  that  of  tenderness  and  love,  of  regard  and  pity,  of 
compassion  and  mercy.  Luke  xix,  41,  42,  shows  very 
plainly  that  the  above  sense  is  correct :  '  And  when 
he  was  come  near,  he  beheld  the  city,  and  wept  over 
it,  saying,  if  thou  hadst  known,  even  thou,  at  least  in 
this  thy  day,  the  things  which  belong  unto  thy  peace ! 
but  now  they  are  hid  from  thine  eyes.'  To  suppose 
that  the  Son  of  God  had  no  love,  mercy,  or  pity  for 
those  who  rejected  and  persecuted  him,  is  to  deny  the 
manifest  sense  of  these  scriptures,  and  many  more  be- 
sides. Here  then  the  inquirer  may  wish  to  ask,  If  the 
Son  of  God  loved  those  whom  he  called  a  generation 
of  vipers,  why  did  he  not  discover  to  them  the  know- 
ledge of  his  gospel,  and  grant  them  repentance  unto 
life?  To  this  question,  the  answer  is  ready.  It 
would  have  proved  the  scriptures  of  the  prophets  false, 
which  they  proved  true  by  condemning  Christ.  See 
Acts  xiii,  27  :  '  For  they  that  dwell  at  Jerusalem,  and 
their  rulers,  because  they  knew  him  not,  nor  yet  the 
voices  of  the  prophets  which  are  read  every  sabbath 
day,  they  have  fulfilled  them  in  condemning  him.' 

4.  The  blessed  Saviour,  when  he  pronounced  those 
judgments  on  that  devoted  people,  gave  a  prophetic 
16 


182  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

token  of  their  finally  obtaining  a  divine  knowledge  of 
him.  See  Matt,  xxiii,  39 :  '  For  I  say  unto  you,  ye 
shall  not  see  me  henceforth,  till  ye  shall  say,  Blessed 
is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.'  It  may 
be  weil  to  ask,  who  were  to  see  Jesus  and  say,  Blessed 
is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord?  Answer, 
Those  who  killed  the  prophets  and  stoned  them  who 
were  sent  unto  them.  Those  whom  Jesus  called  ser- 
pents, and  a  generation  of  vipers.  Those  on  whom 
he  pronounced  the  damnation  of  hell.  Those  scribes 
and  Pharisees  whom  Jesus  calls  hypocrites,  and  com- 
pares to  whited  sepulchres.  In  a  word,  they  are  the 
same  to  whom  he  said,  '  Publicans  and  harlots  go  into 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  before  you.'  The  ground  on 
which  it  is  conceived  to  be  safe  to  build  our  hope  of 
the  salvation  of  those  scribes  and  Pharisees,  is,  that 
one  Mediator  between  God  and  man,  manifested  a 
love  for  them,  and  in  his  love  and  in  his  pity  he  died 
for  them,  and  rose  for  their  justification ;  and  that  is 
the  proper  ground  on  which  alone  we  can  hope  for 
the  salvation  of  any  of  our  sinful  race.  That  these 
deadly  enemies  of  Jesus,  who  were  finally  his  murder- 
ers, were  the  objects  of  that  love  which  is  stronger 
than  death,  is  evident  from  the  prayer  of  the  dying 
Jesus  on  the  cross  :  '  Father  forgive  them  for  they 
know  not  what  they  do.'  If  the  suffering  Son  of 
God  could  look  through  the  blood  of  the  everlasting 
covenant,  and  send  a  prayer  from  the  blood  stained 
cross  to  the  indulgent  ear  of  his  Father,  who  always 
hears  him,  to  forgive  his  murderers,  it  must  be  a  dis- 
honoring infidelity  to  suppose  that  such  a  prayer  will 
not  be  answered.  The  humble  believer  in  Jesus  will 
put  more  confidence  in  this  prayer,  than  in  all  the  fine 
spun  metaphysical  divinity  of  which  our  learned  doc- 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  183 

tors  can  boast,  and  with  which  they  blind  the  eyes  of 
the  simple. 

Notice  has  already  been  taken  of  St.  Paul's  argu- 
ment, wherein  he  shows  that  those  Jews  who  were 
broken  off  through  unbelief,  from  their  own  olive-tree, 
should  be  grafted  in  again,  and  that  the  receiving  of 
them  shall  be  life  from  the  dead.  It  seems  not  a  lit- 
tle favorable  to  our  subject,  that  St.  Paul  should  speak 
of  the  same  thing  which  Jesus  did  in  promise.  Jesus 
says,  'Ye  shall  not  see  me  henceforth,  till  ye  shall 
say,  Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord.'  St.  Paul  says,  Rom.  xi,  26,  '  And  so  all  Isra- 
el shall  be  saved ;  as  it  is  written,  There  shall  come 
out  of  Sion  the  deliverer,  and  shall  turn  away  ungodli- 
ness from  Jacob.' 

As  St  Paul  used  the  circumstance  of  God's  displea- 
sure towards  the  children  of  Israel  for  the  iniquities  of 
which  they  were  guilty,  as  a  warning  to  the  Christians 
of  his  day,  we  ought  to  be  equally  wise  in  using  similar 
circumstances  to  like  advantage.  See  1  Cor.  x,  5,  6 : 
*  But  with  many  of  them  God  was  not  well  pleased  ; 
for  they  were  overthrown  in  the  wilderness.  Now 
these  things  were  our  examples,  to  the  intent  that  we 
should  not  lust  after  evil  things,  as  they  also  lusted.1 
Verse  11:'  Now  all  these  things  happened  unto  them 
for  ensamples  ;  and  they  are  written  for  our  admoni- 
tion, upon  whom  the  ends  of  the  world  are  come.' 
This  is  making  use  of  the  judgments  of  God  against 
sin,  in  one  age  of  the  world,  as  a  warning  against  sim- 
ilar sins,  in  another.  So  ought  we  to  do  ;  and  in  this 
way,  we  may,  with  much  propriety,  accommodate  the 
three  parables  in  the  25th  of  Matthew,  to  the  Christian 
church  in  general,  to  particular  denominations,  or  to 
individuals. 


184  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

If  the  Christian  church   have  apostatized   from   the 
weightier  matters  of  the  gospel,  as  the  Jewish  church 
did  from  those  of  the  law  ;    and  if  it  have,  like  the 
Jewish  church,  paid  more  attention   to  outward  cere- 
monies and  traditions,  than   it  has  to  faith,  hope  and 
charity,  the  three  precious  jewels  of  the  gospel ;  then 
it  is  plain,  that  the  christian  church,  being  in  a  similar 
situation  to  that  of  the  Jewish  church,  is  justly  charge- 
able with  the  like  offences.     If  the  same  spirit  of  per- 
secution has  raged   in  the  Christian  church  as  did  in 
the  Jewish  church,  then  we  may  see  why  it  is  written 
in  Rev.  xv,  6,  '  For  they  shed  the  blood  of  saints  and 
prophets,  and  thou  hast  given  them  blood  to  drink  ; 
for  they  are  worthy/     If  there  have,  or  do  exist,  in 
the  Christian  church,  an  order  of  clergy  who  perfectly 
resemble  the  ancient  scribes  and  Pharisees,  whom  Je- 
sus called  hypocrites,  and  a  generation  of  vipers,  no 
reason  can  be  given  why  they  do  not  as  much  deserve 
the  damnation  of  hell.     If  the  blessed   Saviour  was 
moved  with  pity  and  compassion  towards  that  genera- 
tion of  vipers,  and  spoke  of  a  time  when  they  should 
see  him,  and  say,   Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord ;  if  there  be  any  now   who  possess 
that  spirit  of  Jesus,  they  surely  feel  pitiful  and  compas- 
sionate towards   those  who  are  of  a  similar  character, 
and  can  pray  for  the  time  to  come  when  they  may  see 
the  Saviour,  and  welcome  him  to  their  penitent  hearts. 
Wisdom  undoubtedly  directs  all  denominations  of 
christians,    and  every  individual  professor,  to  exam- 
ine  with   caution  whether  they  have   the  oil  ef  the 
sanctuary  in   their  vessels  with  their  lamps,  or  wheth- 
er they  are  like  the  foolish  virgins,  possessing  nothing 
but  the  outward  forms  of  religion  and  godliness,  with- 
out the  power. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  185 

Christian  prudence  undoubtedly  directs  all  to  the 
rational  inquiry,  what  they  are  doing  with  their  Lord's 
money ;  whether  they  are  improving  by  growing  in 
grace  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
or  whether  they  are  contenting  themselves  with  the 
old  manna  their  fathers  collected.  If  the  Jews  who  re- 
jected the  spirit  of  that  pure  religion  which  visits  the  fa- 
therless and  the  widow  in  their  afflictions, were  therefore 
condemned  for  not  administering  to  Christ  in  his  ne- 
cessities, is  it  not  of  importance  that  professors  of  the 
gospel  ascertain  how  their  conduct  stands,  in  compari- 
son with  theirs  who  were  found  on  the  left  hand,  in 
the  parable  ? 

The  close  of  the  legal  dispensation  was  the  end  of 
the  world,  in  which  Christ  came  to  put  away  sin  by 
the  sacrifice  of  himself;  and  then  the  Jewish  church 
were  judged  according  to  their  works  under  that  dis- 
pensation, and  cast  into  outer  darkness,  as  we  read  in 
Matt,  xxv,  30 :  '  And  cast  ye  the  unprofitable  servant 
into  outer  darkness  :  there  shall  be  weeping  and  gnash- 
ing of  teeth.'  The  close  of  the  reign  of  antichrist,  as 
described  in  Revelations,  is  the  day  of  judgment  to 
the  antichristian  church,  which  must  be  judged  accor- 
ding to  its  works.  See  Rev.  xviii,  5,  &c.  '  For  her 
sins  have  reached  unto  heaven,  and  God  hath  remem- 
bered her  iniquities.  Reward  her  even  as  she  reward- 
ed you,  and  double  unto  her  double  according  to  her 
works :  in  the  cup  which  she  hath  filled,  fill  to  her 
double.  How  much  she  hath  glorified  herself,  and 
lived  deliciously,  so  much  torment  and  sorrow  give 
her:  for  she  saith  in  her  heart,  I  sit  a  queen,  and  am 
no  widow,  and  shall  see  no  sorrow.  Therefore  shall 
her  plagues  come  in  one  day,  death,  and  mourning, 
and  famine  ;  and  she  shall  be  utterly  burnt  with  fire ; 
36* 


186  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

for  strong  is  the  Lord  God  who  judgeth  her.  And 
the  kings  of  the  earth,  who  have  committed  fornica- 
tion, and  lived  deliriously  with  her,  shall  bewail  her, 
and  lament  for  her,  when  they  shall  see  the  smoke  of 
her  burning,  standing  afar  off  for  the  fear  of  her  tor- 
ment, saying,  alas,  alas !  that  great  city  Babylon, 
that  mighty  city  !  for  in  one  hour  is  thy  judgment 
come.  And  the  merchants  of  the  earth  shall  weep  and 
mourn  over  her ;  for  no  man  buyeth  their  merchandise 
any  more.'  These  are  the  merchants  who  have  sold 
the  treasures  of  mystery  Babylon,  or  the  treasures  of 
the  mystery  of  iniquity.  These,  like  the  scribes  and 
Pharisees  of  old,  are  unprofitable  servants,  and  must 
now  appear  in  the  judgment,  on  the  left  hand,  and  be 
cast  out  into  outer  darkness  ;  now  shall  they  weep  and 
lament,  that  no  man  buyeth  their  merchandise  any 
more  ;  now  will  they  gnash  their  teeth  on  those  who 
burn  their  city  with  fire. 

As  those  who  received  Christ  and  followed  him  in 
the  regeneration,  had  thrones  appointed  them,  so  is  it 
now ;  those  who  come  out  of  Babylon,  and  rise  in  the 
spirit  of  life,  which  reanimates  the  two  witnesses,  are 
those  whose  voices  are  heard  in  heaven.  See  Rev.  xi, 
15 :  '  And  the  seventh  angel  sounded ;  and  there 
were  great  voices  in  heaven,  saying,  The  kingdoms  of 
this  world  are  become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord,  and 
of  his  Christ :  and  he  shall  reign  forever  and  ever.' 
These  are  they  who  in  the  present  age,  answer  to 
those  in  the  parable,  who  entered  into  life  eternal. 


PARABLE  XXVIL 


*  Every  valley  shall  be  filled,  and  every  mountain  and  hill  shall  be  brought 
low;  and  the  crooked  shall  be  made  straight,  and  the  rough  ways  shall  be 
made  smooth.' — Luke  iii,  5. 


The  foregoing  verse  is  a  quotation  from  Isaiah  x\, 
4 ;  who,  by  inspiration,  spoke  of  the  coining  of  Mes- 
siah, and  the  glory  which  should  follow.  And  a  more 
beautiful  representation  of  the  universal  and  glorious 
effects  of  the  gospel  of  our  salvation,  is  not,  perhaps,  to 
be  found  in  all  the  allegories  recorded  in  Scripture. 
This  parable  affords  the  following  pleasing  and  soul 
rejoicing  truths  : 

1.  By  every  valley  being  filled,  we  are  taught,  the 
blessings  of  the  gospel  on  the  low,  meek  and  suffering 
part  of  mankind.  The  meek  are  charmed  with  the 
glad  tidings  of  salvation ;  the  low  despairing  soul, 
shut  up  in  darkness,  beholds  with  rejoicing  eyes  sin 
finished  on  the  cross,  and  immortality  brought  to  light 
through  the  resurrection  of  the  all-glorious  conqueror 
of  death.  Suffering  mortals,  bound  in  chains  of  bon- 
dage, crushed  with  the  ponderous  weight  of  absolute 
power,  are  taught  the  divine  certainty  of  the  destruc- 
tion of  that  illy  exercised  power  which  renders  even 
life  itself  vexatious  ;  and  are  blessed  with  the  consola- 
tions of  that  hope  which  raises  them,  from  dust  and 
chains,  to  contemplate  the  goodness  of  the  great  Arbi- 
ter of  nations. 

2.  By  every  mountain  and  hill  being  brought  low, 
we  understand  the  reduction  of  pride,  unlawful  ambi- 


188  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

tion,  and  all  earthly  power  standing  opposed  to  the 
divinely  meek  principles  of  Emmanuel  and  his  glori- 
ous kingdom.  How  humiliating  is  that  grace,  which 
pardons  the  many  follies  of  our  lives,  to  that  towering 
ambition  and  pride  so  incident  to  mankind.  How 
weak  and  impotent  is  that  soul,  who  is  reduced  to  say, 
f  Lord,  save,  or  I  perish.'  But,  O  !  the  destiny  of  a 
tyrannical  power.  Ye  tyrants  of  the  earth,  ye  have 
magnified  yourselves,  ye  have  raised  yourselves  to  opu- 
lence, and  bathed  yourselves  in  luxury  with  the  sweat 
of  vassals  groaning  beneath  insupportable  burdens,  im- 
posed by  injustice  on  servile  men.  Ye  have  set  no 
bounds  to  your  ambition,  by  which  millions  are  de- 
voted to  death;  but  your  kingdoms  are  numbered, 
and  finished  ;  ye  are  weighed  in  the  balance  and  found 
wanting  !  The  high  mountains  of  your  strength  must 
be  brought  low,  and  all  your  power  must  become  as 
the  chaff  of  the  summer  threshing  floors.  See  Daniel 
ii,  35  ;  vii,  9. 

3.  By  the  crooked  being  made  straight,  we  learn,  that 
man,  who  has  become  crooked  and  perverse  by  the 
serpent's  guile,  will,  by  the  power  and  grace  of  the 
serpent's  bruiser,  be  brought  to  divine  rectitude. 

4.  '  The  rough  way  shall  be  made  smooth.'  This 
undoubtedly  refers  to  the  way  of  which  we  read  in 
Isaiah  xxxv,  8 :  '  And  an  highway  shall  be  there,  and  a 
way,  and  it  shall  be  called,  The  way  of  holiness  ;  the 
unclean  shall  not  pass  over  it,  but  it  shall  be  for  those  : 
the  wayfaring  men,  though  fools  shall  not  err  therein.' 

The  way  of  life,  which  was  represented  by  Christ, 
in  a  former  parable  as  straight  and  narrow  under  the 
law,  by  the  gospel  is  made  plain,  smooth,  and  so  easy 
of  passage,  that  he  who  reads  may  run,  and  even  fools 
may  walk  and   not  err.     In  the  verse  succeeding  our 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  189 

text,  the  glorious  consequence  is  thus  stated  :  '  And 
all  flesh  shall  see  the  salvation  of  God.'  For  confir- 
mation in  the  right  sense  of  these  words,  the  reader 
will  observe  God's  covenant  with  Noah  ;  see  Gen.  ix, 
17  :  'And  God  said  unto  Noah,  This  is  the  token  of 
the  covenant,  which  I  have  established  between  me 
and  all  flesh  that  is  upon  the  earth.'  And  to  make 
this  divine  truth,  if  possible,  more  evident,  see  Isaiah 
liv,  9  :  '  For  this  is  as  the  waters  of  Noah  unto  me :  for 
as  I  have  sworn  that  the  waters  of  Noah  shall  no  more 
go  over  the  earth,  so  have  I  sworn  that  I  will  not  be 
wroth  with  thee  nor  rebuke  thee.'  To  which  I  subjoin 
the  testimony  of  him  who  spoke  as  never  man  spoke : 
see  St.  John  xvii,  2 :  i  As  thou  hast  given  him  (Christ) 
power  over  all  flesh,  that  he  should  give  eternal  life  to 
as  many  as  thou  hast  given  him.'  Is  this  the  glorious 
design  of  the. gospel  plan  ?  My  soul  then  wishes  it 
prosperity. 


ILLUSTRATION. 

To  render  this  illustration  instructive,  relative  to 
universal  salvation,  a  few  of  the  corresponding  passa- 
ges of  scripture  will  be  introduced,  accompanied  with 
some  remarks.  Our  parable  seems  to  be  predicated 
on  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah  xl,  1 — 5 :  '  Comfort  ye, 
comfort  ye  my  people,  saith  your  God.  Speak  ye 
comfortably  to  Jerusalem,  and  cry  unto  her,  that  her 
warfare  is  accomplished,  that  her  iniquity  is  pardoned : 
for  she  hath  received  of  the  Lord's  hand  double  for 
all  her  sins.  The  voice  of  him  that  crieth  in  the  wil- 
derness, Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  make  straight 
in  the  desert  a  highway  for  our  God.     Every  valley 


190  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

shall  be  exalted,  and  every  mountain  and  hill  shall  be 
made  low ;  and  the  crooked  shall  be  made  straight, 
and  rough  places  plain.  And  the  glory  of  the  Lord 
shall  be  revealed,  and  all  flesh  shall  see  it  together : 
for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it.'  It  is  well 
to  notice  the  following  particulars  embraced  in  the 
above  text : 

1.  The  command  given  to  speak  comfortably  to 
Jerusalem,  and  to  comfort  her  as  a  people  owned  of 
God. 

2.  The  necessity  and  propriety  of  speaking  com- 
fortably to  an  individual  or  to  a  nation,  is  on  account 
of  the  troubles,  adversities,  or  sufferings  through 
which  the  individual,  or  the  nation  has  passed,  or  is 
passing,  and  there  being  a  favorable  prospect  of  better 
times. 

3.  The  sufferings  alluded  to  in  the  text,  that  Je- 
rusalem endured,  were  double  punishment  for  all  her 
sins. 

4.  The  comfort  with  which  Jerusalem  was  to  be 
comforted,  was  the  pardon  of  her  iniquities. 

5.  It  is  evident  that  this  Jerusalem  is  the  same 
which  was  in  the  days  of  Christ,  from  the  prophet's  pro- 
ceeding to  state  the  preparation  of  the  way  of  the 
Lord,  and  of  his  glorious  appearing.  This  is  that  Jeru- 
salem of  which  St.  Paul  speaks,  Gal.  iv,  25 :  '  For  this 
Agar  is  mount  Sinai  in  Arabia,  and  answereth  to  Je- 
rusalem, which  now  is,  and  is  in  bondage  with  her 
children.' 

6.  Jerusalem  receiving  double  for  all  her  sins,  and 
being  comforted  with  the  pardon  of  her  iniquities  after- 
wards, shows  two  important  truths  which  are  generally 
disbelieved:  1st,  that  sin  does  not  deserve  endless 
punishment ;  and  2d,  that  an  adequate  punishment  for 
sin,  is  consistent  with  forgiveness. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  191 

7.  The  way  of  the  Lord  is  so  prepared,  that  when 
his  glory  is  fully  revealed,  all  flesh  shall  see  it  togeth- 
er. Psalm  xcviii,  1,  2,  3:  '  O  sing  unto  the  Lord  a 
new  song;  for  he  hath  done  marvellous  things:  his 
right  hand  and  his  holy  arm  hath  gotten  him  the  victo- 
ry. The  Lord  hath  made  known  his  salvation :  his 
righteousness  hath  he  openly  showed  in  the  sight  of 
the  heathen.  He  hath  remembered  his  mercy  and 
his  truth  towards  the  house  of  Israel ;  all  the  ends  of 
the  earth  have  seen  the  salvation  of  our  God.' 

1.  This  new  song  is  the  song  of  Moses  the  servant 
of  God,  and  the  song  of  the  Lamb,  which  is  sung  by 
those  standing  on  the  sea  of  glass  mingled  with  fire, 
noticed  in  Rev.  xv ;  and  this  is  their  song :  See  verses 
3,  4 :  '  And  they  sing  the  song  of  Moses  the  servant 
of  God,  and  the  song  of  the  Lamb,  saying,  Great  and 
marvellous  are  thy  works,  Lord  God  Almighty ;  just 
and  true  are  thy  ways,  thou  king  of  saints.  Who  shall 
not  fear  thee,  O  Lord,  and  glorify  thy  name?  for  thou 
only  art  holy  ;  for  all  nations  shall  come  and  worship 
before  thee  :  for  thy  judgments  are  made  manifest.' 
By  this  song  it  appears  that  the  judgments  of  God  will 
terminate  in  bringing  all  nations  to  worship  the  true 
God,  whom  to  know  is  life  eternal. 

2.  The  victory  obtained  by  God's  right  hand  and  holy 
arm  is  the  victory  of  the  seed  of  the  woman  over  the 
serpent,  whose  head  he  bruises ;  the  victory  of  him  who 
is  able  to  subdue  even  all  things  to  himself;  the  vic- 
tory of  him  who  must  reign  until  he  has  put  all  things 
under  his  feet. 

3.  The  salvation  and  righteousness  which  God  hath 
made  known  and  showed  openly,  are  that  righteous- 
ness and  salvation  of  which  St.  Paul  speaks  in  Rom. 
v,  18  :  '  Even  so  by  the  7'ighteousness  of  one  the  free 


192  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

gift  came  upon  all  men  unto  justification  of  life.'  This 
justification  unto  life,  is  the  salvation  which  is  wrought 
by  the  righteousness  of  God. 

4.  God's  mercy  and  truth,  which  he  hath  remember- 
ed towards  the  house  of  Israel,  is  expressed  by  St. 
Paul,  Rom.  ix,  4.  5 :  '  Who  are  Israelites :  to  whom 
pertaineth  the  adoption,  and  the  glory,  and  the  cove- 
nants, and  the  giving  of  the  law,  and  the  service  of 
God,  and  the  promises  ;  whose  are  the  fathers,  and  of 
whom,  as  concerning  the  flesh,  Christ  came,  who  is 
over  all,  God  blessed  forever,  amen.' 

The  fulfilment  of  all  those  things  are  noticed  as  fol- 
lows :  See  Acts  xiii,  32,  33 :  '  And  we  declare  unto 
you  glad  tidings,  how  that  the  promise  which  was  made 
unto  the  fathers,  God  hath  fulfilled  the  same  unto  us 
their  children,  in  that  he  hath  raised  up  Jesus  again  ; 
as  it  is  also  written  in  the  second  Psalm,  Thou  art  my 
son ;  this  day  have  I  begotten  thee.' 

5.  The  joy  of  this  new  song  is  completed  with  the 
sentiment,  prophetically  expressed  in  the  most  posi- 
tive form,  that  all  the  ends  of  the  earth  shall  see  the 
salvation  of  our  God.  In  the  application  of  the  para- 
ble it  is  said,  'And  all  flesh  shall  see  the  salvation  of 
God.'  Corresponding  with  this  mode  of  expression 
are  the  words  of  the  blessed  Saviour  in  St.  John  xvii, 
2,  3  :  '  As  thou  hast  given  him  power  over  all  fleshy 
that  he  should  give  eternal  life  to  as  many  as  thou 
hast  given  him.  And  this  is  life  eternal,  that  they 
might  know  thee  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ 
whom  thou  hast  sent.'  Note  1st.  In  this  passage, 
the  word  as  connects  what  follows  with  what  precedes, 
and  shows  that  power  over  all-flesh  was  given  to 
Christ,  that  he  might  glorify  his  Father  according  to 
the  extensiveness  of  that  power,  in  giving  eternal  life 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  193 

to  all  over  whom  he  had  received  power,  which  is  all 
flesh.  2d.  This  eternal  life  consists  in  knowing  God, 
and  Jesus  Christ  whom  God  has  sent.  Therefore,  3d, 
The  true  gospel  ministry  consists  in  communicating 
the  knowledge  of  God,  as  revealed  in  Christ,  to  man- 
kind. 4th.  The  conclusion  is,  that  in  the  ministry  of 
the  gospel,  nothing  but  life  eternal  to  all  flesh  is  dis- 
pensed. The  declaration  of  the  angel  of  God  to  the 
shepherds,  on  the  birth  of  the  Saviour,  is  directly  to 
our  subject :  See  St.  Luke  ii,  10,  11  :  '  And  the  angel 
said  unto  them,  Fear  not ;  for  behold,  I  bring  you 
good  tidings  of  great  joy,  which  shall  be  to  all  people. 
For  unto  you  is  born  this  day,  in  the  city  of  David,  a 
Saviour,  which  is  Christ  the  Lord.5  As  it  cannot  be 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  this  angel  of  God  would  de- 
clare an  untruth,  and  as  he  spoke  of  great  joy,  which 
should  be  unto  all  people,  the  conclusion  is  agreeable 
to  the  scriptures  before  quoted  :  All  the  ends  of  the 
earth  shall  see  the  salvation  of  our  God  ;  and  all  flesh 
shall  see  the  salvation  of  God.  The  great  joy  of  sal- 
vation shall  be  unto  all  people. 


PARABLE  XXVIIL 

*  There  was  a  certain  creditor  which  had  two  debtors;  the  one  owed  five 
hundred  pence,  and  the  other  fifty :  and  when  they  had  nothing  to  pay,  he 
frankly  forgave  them  both.' — Luke  vii,  41,  42" 

These  words  were  spoken  that  a  question  might  be 
stated  from  them,  which  would  every  way  confound 
Simon  the  Pharisee,  who,  though  he  had  invited  Jesus 
17 


194  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

to  accommodations  in  his  house,  yet,  entertained  no 
very  high  opinion  of  him.  Christ  being  seated  at  meat 
in  Simon's  house,  a  woman,  who  was  a  sinner,  came 
in  with  an  alabaster  box  of  ointment,  and  stood  at  his 
feet  behind  him  weeping  ;  she  also  washed  his  feet 
with  her  tears  and  wiped  them  with  the  hair  of  her 
head ;  she  kissed  them  affectionately  and  anointed 
them  with  the  ointment ;  which  when  Simon  saw,  he 
said,  within  himself,  '  If  this  man  was  a  prophet,  he 
would  know  who,  and  what  manner  of  woman  this 
is  that  toucheth  him  ;  for  she  is  a  sinner.'  By  this, 
it  is  evident,  that  Simon  did  not  look  on  himself  to  be 
a  sinner  as  was  the  woman,  and  that  he  believed  Christ 
was  an  impostor,  as  he  pretended  to  a  wisdom  which 
would  certainly  have  enabled  him  to  distinguish  be- 
tween the  righteous  and  the  wicked  ;  and  if  Christ 
had  known  that  the  woman  was  a  sinner,  he  would, 
by  no  means,  have  suffered  her  to  come  nigh  him, 
much  less  to  do  those  offices  for  him.  These,  un- 
doubtedly, are  the  thoughts  which  Simon  had  on  that 
occasion.  In  the  parable,  Christ  makes  his  statement 
according  to  the  Pharisee's  ideas  of  himself  and  of  the 
woman. 

1.  Christ  represents  himself  by  a  creditor  who  had 
two  debtors. 

2.  The  woman  is  represented  as  a  great  sinner,  by 
the  debtor  who  owed  five  hundred  pence. 

3.  Simon  the  Pharisee,  is  represented  by  the  debtor 
who  owed  only  fifty  pence. 

4.  That  sinners  have  no  power  to  atone  for  their 
sins,  is  shown  by  the  debtor's  having  nothing  to  pay. 

5.  The  pardoning  mercy  of  the  gospel,  by  which, 
both  Pharisees  and  sinners  finally  obtain  forgiveness 
of  sin,    is   shown   by    the   creditor's   forgiving    both. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  195 

Christ  then  asks  Simon,  '  Which  of  them  will  love  him 
most  ? '  Simon  answers,  ' I  suppose  he,  to  whom  he 
forgave  most ; '  by  which  answer,  this  self-righteous 
Pharisee  was  entirely  refuted  in  respect  to  his  notions 
of  righteousness.  For,  admitting  Simon  to  be  as  holy 
as  he  looked  on  himself  to  be,  and  the  woman  as 
great  a  sinner  as  he  supposed,  she  not  only  stood  in 
more  need  of  mercy  than  he,  but  would  surely  love 
Christ  better  in  the  same  ratio  as  her  sins  were  great- 
er, or  more  numerous  than  his.  This  was  something 
of  a  usual  method  with  the  Saviour  :  he  generally  con- 
founded his  adversaries  on  the  ground  of  their  own 
choice.  But  had  Simon's  sins  been  set  in  order  be- 
fore him  at  that  time,  as  Saul's  were  afterwards,  no 
doubt  he  would  have  confessed  the  debt  of  Jive  hun- 
dred pence,  and,  humbling  himself,  would  have  rejoic- 
ed in  him  who  deigned  to  forgive. 


ILLUSTRATION. 

That  darling  notion,  which,  in  all  ages  of  the  world, 
has  been  so  acceptable  to  religious  people,  that  favor- 
ite opinion  of  a  total  difference,  in  the  sight  of  God, 
between  the  true  worshippers,  and  those  who  were 
not,  was  as  much  contended  for  in  the  days  of  Christ 
on  earth,  as  it  is  now :  and  it  appears  evident  that  Si- 
mon the  Pharisee  was  as  fully  in  this  current  sentiment 
as  are  any  in  this  day.  The  effect  which  this  opinion 
had  on  Simon,  was  the  same  that  is  now  produced 
from  the  same  cause.  Simon  supposed  that  Christ 
was  no  prophet  because  he  did  not  know  what  manner 
of  woman  that  was  who  showed  so  much  affection  for 
him.     See  verse  39 :  <  Now  when  the  Pharisee,  which 


196  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

had  bidden  him,  saw  it,  he  spoke  within  himself,  This 
man,  if  he  were  a  prophet,  would   have  known  who 
and  what  manner  of  woman  this  is  that  toucheth  him  ; 
for  she  is  a  sinner.'     Simon  surely  would  not  have  en- 
tertained any  better  opinion  of  Jesus  if  he  had  known 
that  he  did  know  what  manner  of  woman  that  was, 
and  still  indulged  her  approach  to  himself;  for  then 
even  ignorance  could  not  have  been  pleaded  to  exten- 
uate the  offence.     It  was,  therefore,  the  most  favora- 
ble conclusion  which  Simon  could  make,  to  suppose 
that  Jesus  was  indeed  no  prophet,  and  was  ignorant 
of  the  sinfulness  of  that  woman.     It  is  but  just  to  no- 
tice also,  that  this  Pharisee  was  deserving  of  commen- 
dation, not  only  for  being  disposed  to  make  the  most 
favorable  conclusion  possible  in  this  case,  but  for  be- 
ing one  of  the  most  decent  and  civil  of  his  order,  for 
he  did  not  break  out  in  a  rage,   and  order  his  guest 
out  of  his  house,  nor  did  he  speak  of  the  unfavora- 
ble opinion  which  he  was  obliged  to  entertain  of  Je- 
sus, to  others,  but  only  spake  of  it  within  himself. 
Therefore,  while  we  find  the  sentiment  of  Simon  per- 
fectly to  agree  with  the  sentiment  of  the  Pharisees  in 
the  present  day,  we  find  in  his  conduct  an  example 
worthy  of  their  imitation. 

The  sentiment  communicated  by  the  foregoing  pa- 
rable and  application,  is  subject  to  the  following  objec- 
tions, from  the  doctrine  of  the  Pharisees,  as  stated  in 
the  first  illustration  : 

1.  If  the  great  sinner  may  obtain  forgiveness  as 
well  as  he  whose  sins  are  much  less,  then  there  is  no 
encouragement  to  do  well 

2  If  the  great  sinner  will,  in  consequence  of  being 
forgiven,  love  the  Saviour  more  than  lie  whose  sins  are 
much  less,  it  appears  to  be  an    encouragement  to  add 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  197 

iniquity  to  transgression,  and  to  become  as  sinful  as 
possible,  so  that  the  greater  love  may  be  exercised  when 
forgiveness  is  obtained. 

3.  The  whole,  when  put  together,  amounts  to  this ; 
Sin  is  better  than  righteousness,  vice  is  better  than  vir- 
tue, irreligion  is  better  than  religion,  and  it  is  no  mat- 
ter how  badly  people  act :  the  righteous,  who  pay 
strict  attention  to  the  things  of  religion,  and  abstain 
from  a  thousand  enjoyments  of  this  life,  are  mere  fools 
for  all  their  pains :  it  would  be  as  well  for  them,  and 
even  better,  if  they  should  indulge  themselves  in  all 
manner  of  vice  and  wickedness. 

4.  It  must  be  evident  to  every  rational  mind,  that 
such  doctrine  is  false,  and  that  whoever  teaches  such 
doctrine,  is  an  enemy  to  the  truth. 

The  foregoing  objections  are  as  naturally  drawn 
from  the  doctrine  of  the  Pharisees,  which  doctrine  is 
the  current  doctrine  of  the  christian  church  in  the 
present  day,  as  darkness  is  the  natural  consequences  of 
the  absence  of  light.  These  objections  may  be  thus 
answered.  1.  If  Jesus  spoke  this  parable,  in  its  pe- 
culiar form,  with  a  design  to  answer  Simon  accord- 
ing to  his  own  views  of  his  being  less  a  sinner  than 
that  woman  was,  it  is  by  no  means  necessary  to  sup- 
pose that  Jesus  looked  on  the  woman  to  be  any  more 
sinful  than  Simon.  Therefore,  if  Simon  was  as  great  a 
sinner  as  the  woman,  he  would  love  Jesus  as  well  as 
the  woman  did,  when  he  should  know  himself,  and  feel 
his  sins  forgiven.  2.  If  no  one  can  enter  the  kingdom 
of  heaven,  unless  their  righteousness  exceed  the  righte- 
ousness of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  it  is  evident  that 
both  ancient  and  modern  Pharisees  are  equally  depen- 
dent on  the  Lord  our  righteousness,  for  justification 
unto  life,  as  others.     3.  It  is  evident  that  the  Pharisees 


198  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

have  a  mistaken  notion  of  sin,  righteousness,  vice,  vir- 
tue, irreligion  and  religion.  All  their  righteousness, 
their  virtue  and  their  religion  is  consistent  with  an  ir- 
reconcilable enmity  towards  those  who  do  not  agree  with 
them  in  opinions  and  religious  rites.  This  enmity  be- 
ing directly  contrary  to  the  love  which  Jesus  manifest- 
ed towards  sinners,  we  are  authorised  to  believe  that 
such  enmity,  and  all  the  righteousness,  virtue  and  re- 
ligion which  are  consistent  with  it,  are  opposed  to  the 
Lord  our  righteousness  and  to  his  gospel.  4.  It  is  ev- 
ident that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  preached  a  righteousness, 
a  system  of  moral  virtue,  and  taught  a  religion,  which 
were  consistent  with  love  to  sinners,  and  the  forgive- 
ness of  sins.  Therefore,  to  be  active  in  the  righteous- 
ness, virtue  and  religion  of  Christ,  it  is  necessary  for  us 
to  feel  the  need  and  benefits  of  forgiveness  ourselves, 
and  to  be  disposed  thereby  to  grant  the  same  in- 
estimable blessings  to  others  who  stand  in  the  same 
need. 

It  will  be  granted,  on  all  sides,  that  this  woman  pos- 
sessed more  of  the  spirit  of  Christ  than  Simon  did. 
This  is  evident  from  what  Jesus  said  to  Simon,  see 
verse  44 — 46 :  '  And  he  turned  to  the  woman,  and 
said  unto  Simon,  Seest  thou  this  woman  ?  I  entered 
into  thine  house,  thou  gavest  me  no  water  for  my  feet ; 
but  she  hath  washed  my  feet  with  tears,  and  wiped 
them  with  the  hairs  of  her  head.  Thou  gavest  me  no 
kiss  ;  but  this  woman,  since  the  time  I  came  in,  hath 
not  ceased  to  kiss  my  feet.  Mine  head  with  oil  thou 
didst  not  anoint ;  but  this  woman  hath  anointed  my 
feet  with  ointment.'  From  this  it  is  safe  to  conclude, 
that  those  who  are  disposed  to  pour  forth  the  tears  of 
penitence  and  gratitude  at  the  feet  of  him  who  forgives 
our  many  sins,  are  possessed  of  more  of  the  spirit  of 


NOTES    ON    THE     PARABLES.  199 

Christ  than  those  who  deny  him,  because  he  receiveth 
sinners  and  has  compassion  upon  them. 

Notwithstanding  Simon,  who  was,  undoubtedly,  a 
man  of  respectable  character,  of  an  honorable  standing 
in  the  religious  order  to  which  he  belonged,  of  a  good 
natural  disposition,  and  a  tolerably  discerning  mind, 
on  account  of  his  religious  education  was  led  to  think 
that  Jesus  was  no  prophet,  and  that  he  did  not  know 
what  manner  of  woman  that  was  who  approached  him, 
yet  he  was  that  prophet  of  whom  Moses  spake,  Beut. 
xviii.  15 :  '  The  Lord  thy  God  will  raise  up  unto  thee 
a  prophet  from  the  midst  of  thee,  of  thy  brethren,  like 
unto  me ;  unto  him  ye  shall  hearken.'  And  he  not 
only  knew  what  manner  of  woman  that  was,  but  he 
also  knew  the  thoughts  of  Simon's  heart,  and  was  di- 
vinely wise  to  reprove  him,  and  to  correct  his  religious 
errors. 

And  notwithstanding  there  are  many  in  the  present 
day,  of  whom  we  might  speak  and  think  as  favorably 
as  we  have  of  Simon,  who  now  have  the  same 
opinion  of  the  true  spirit  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  Simon  had, 
who  now  reject  that  blessed  spirit  of  pardon  and  for- 
giveness with  as  much  religious  zeal  as  the  Pharisees 
in  general  did  Jesus,  and  though  they  call  this  divine 
master  of  the  house,  Beelzebub,  and  those  of  his  house- 
hold nothing  better,  yet  this  blessed  spirit  is  a  discern- 
er  of  the  thoughts  and  intents  of  their  hearts,  and  a 
wise  reprover  of  their  unbelief  and  religious  bigotry. 


PARABLE  XXIX. 

c  And  Jesus  answering  said,  A  certain  man  went  down  from  Jerusalem 
to  Jericho,  and  fell  among  thieves,  which  stripped  him  of  his  raiment,  and 
wounded  him,  and  departed,  leaving  him  half  dead.  And  by  chance  there 
came  down  a  certain  priest  that  way;  and  when  he  saw  him  he  passed  by  on 
the  other  side.  And  likewise  a  Levite,  wheu  he  was  at  the  place,  came 
and  looked  on  him,  and  passed  by  him  on  the  other  side.  But  a  certain 
Samaritan,  as  he  journeyed,  came  where  he  was;  and  when  he  saw  him,  he 
had  compassion  on  him,  and  went  to  him,  and  bound  up  his  wounds,  pouring 
in  oil,  and  wine,  and  set  him  on  his  own  beast  and  brought  him  to  an  inn, 
and  took  care  of  him.  .And  on  the  morrow,  when  he  departed,  he  took  out 
two  pence,  and  gave  them  to  the  host,  and  said  unto  him,  Take  care  of  him: 
and  whatsoever  thou  spendest  more,  when  I  come  again,  I  will  repay  thee- 
Which  now  of  these  three,  thinkest  thou,  was  neighbor  unto  him  that  fell 
among  the  thieves  1  And  he  said,  He  that  showed  mercy  on  him.  Then 
said  Jesus  unto  him,  Go  and  do  thou  likewise' — Luke  x,  30 — 37. 

This  parable  of  the  man  among  the  thieves,  was 
spoken  by  Christ,  to  a  lawyer,  in  answer  to  the  law- 
yer's question,  who  asked,  whom  he  should  consider 
to  be  his  neighbor.  And  the  answer  contained  in  the 
parable,  communicates  one  of  the  most  important  du- 
ties which  was  ever  enjoined  on  man. 

1.  A  man  travelling  from  Jerusalem  to  Jericho  fall- 
ing among  thieves,  being  stripped,  wounded  and  half 
dead,  is  a  suitable  object  of  charity,  which  is  the 
greatest  of  all  christian  virtues  ;  and  without  which, 
the  professor  of  ever  so  much  goodness,  or  religion,  is 
nothing. 

2.  A  priest  and  a  Levite  beholding  the  suffering 
man,  and  treating  him  with  cold  neglect,  is  a  just  rep- 
resentation of   the    Pharisee  and    his  religion.     The 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  201 

priest  would,  undoubtedly,  have  been  willing  to  offer 
a  sacrifice  that  the  suffering  man  might  bring,  as  an 
expiation  of  guilt;  it  being  so,  that  he  who  administer- 
ed at  the  altar  lived  of  the  things  of  the  altar ;  having 
never  learned,  that  mercy  was  more  acceptable  to  God 
than  sacrifice.  And  being  a  stranger  to  heaven  born 
charity,  he  could  leave  a  distressed  object  of  pity,  to 
the  scorching  heat  of  day,  to  the  cold  damps  of  night, 
to  nakedness,  and  to  the  deathlike  gnawings  of  hunger. 

3.  One  possessed  of  the  real  principles  of  true  reli- 
gion, and  a  heart  taught  to  feel  for  the  distress  of  oth- 
ers, whose  soul  has  been  fired  with  divine  charity,  but 
does  not  conform  to  all  the  customs  and  traditions  of 
the  elders,  wherewith  they  make  void  the  law  of  God, 
is  represented  by  a  despised  Samaritan  pouring  oil 
and  wine  into  the  wounds  of  suffering  humanity.  O, 
ye  vain  and  formal  professors  of  Christianity !  open 
your  ears  to  reproof.  What  is  all  your  profession  of 
faith,  of  zeal  for  religion  and  the  service  of  God  ?  If 
you  have  not  charity,  you  are  nothing  He  who  had 
compassion  on  him  who  fell  among  thieves,  was  will- 
ing to  go  on  foot,  that  the  wounded  might  ride;  nei- 
ther did  he  ask  another  to  show  mercy  and  excuse 
himself,  but  having  it  in  his  power  to  relieve,  asked 
none  to  assist  in  the  expense.  The  lawyer  having  ac- 
knowledged that  he  who  had  compassion,  was  neigh- 
bor to  him  who  fell  among  thieves,  in  preference  to 
the  priest  and  the  Levite ;  Christ  exhorts  him  to  go, 
and  do  likewise. 

ILLUSTRATION. 

In  the  subject  of  this  parable,  we  are  presented  with 
a  striking  and  powerful  argument,  by  which  is  clearly 


202  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

shown,  that  the  spirit  of  the  law  is  mercy  and  life.  To 
make  this  argument  plain  to  the  reader,  the  following 
particulars  will  be  noticed  : 

1.  The  subject  which  occasioned  this  parable. 

2.  How  the  parable  answers  the  question  to  which 
it  was  directed,  in  relation  to  the  first  subject ;  and, 

3.  Some  necessary  inferences. 

The  subject  which  occasioned  this  parable,  we  learn 
from  the  context,  verses  25 — 28  :  '  And  behold,  a  cer- 
tain lawyer  stood  up  and  tempted  him,  saying,  Master, 
what  shall  I  do  to  inherit  eternal  life  ?  He  said  unto 
him,  What  is  written  in  the  law  ?  how  readest  thou? 
And  he,  answering,  said,  thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy 
God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with 
all  thy  strength,  and  with  all  thy  mind  ;  and  thy  neigh- 
bor as  thyself.  And  he  said  unto  him,  Thou  hast  an- 
swered right :  this  do,  and  thou  shalt  live.'  Here  the 
law  is  recited  in  its  true  spirit  and  meaning,  and  the 
Saviour  said,  This  do,  and  thou  shalt  live.  To  this 
agree  the  words  of  the  beloved  disciple ;  see  1  John 
iii,  14:  '  We  know  that  we  have  passed  from  death 
unto  life,  because  we  love  the  brethren ;  he  that  lov- 
eth  not  his  brother  abideth  in  death.'  But  here  is 
room  in  which,  he  who  is  in  darkness,  will  take  the 
liberty  to  cavil,  and  ask,  who  is  my  brother  ?  So  did 
the  lawyer,  who  tempted  Christ.  See  verse  29  :  '  But 
he,  willing  to  justify  himself,  said  unto  Jesus,  And  who 
is  my  neighbor  ?'  To  answer  this  question  Jesus  spoke 
the  parable  under  consideration,  which  may  now  be 
examined,  as  to  its  relation,  not  only  to  the  question  to 
which  it  immediaiely  applies,  but  also  to  the  first  and 
major  question  in  the  general  subject. 

1 .  Why  did  neither  the  priest  nor  the  Levite  have 
compassion  on  the  distressed  man  ?     Answer,  because 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  203 

they  did  not  love  their  neighbor  as  themselves.  This 
wounded  man,  it  appears,  had  a  very  just  claim  upon 
them,  being  a  Jew  and  from  Jerusalem  ;  one  of  their 
brethren  as  appertaining  to  that  part  of  Israel  which 
worshipped  at  Jerusalem,  and  of  course  paid  tithes  to 
that  priesthood.  They  could  make  no  reasonable  ex- 
cuse for  their  neglect,  on  account  of  this  man's  having 
travelled  from  Jerusalem  to  Jericho  ;  for,  1.  They  were 
travelling  the  same  road  themselves  ;  and,  2.  If  they 
viewed  him  to  have  been  a  very  wicked  Jew,  it  was 
their  duty  agreeably  with  their  office,  to  have  made 
atonement  for  his  sins,  besides  relieving  his  tempo- 
ral distresses.  But  for  the  want  of  love,  all  duty  is 
neglected. 

2.  Why  did  the  Samaritan  have  mercy  on  this  dis- 
tressed Jew  ?  Not  because  the  latter  was  a  worship- 
per in  the  mountain  of  Samaria  :  not  because  the  Jews 
and  the  Samaritans  were  in  the  habits  of  friendship 
and  good  neighborhood,  for  the  reverse  in  the  extreme 
was  the  case  ;  but  because  that  love  possessed  his  heart 
which  answers  to  the  requirement  of  the  divine  law,  by 
which  he  loved  fcs  enemy  and  could  do  good  to  one 
who  hated  him.  Jesus  asks  the  lawyer,  which  of  the 
three  he  thought  was  neighbor  to  him  who  fell  among 
thieves  ;  to  which  the  lawyer  replied,  l  He  that  showed 
mercy  on  him.'  Jesus  then  concludes  the  subject  say- 
ing, '  Go  and  do  thou  likewise.'  By  this  the  lawyer 
was  informed  that  he  must  consider  those  to  be  the  ob- 
jects of  his  love,  who  where  as  great  enemies  to  him  as 
the  Jews  were  to  the  Samaritans  ;  and  that  for  him  to  in- 
herit eternal  life,  he  must  love  such  as  he  did  himself: 
which  amounts  to  the  exact  requirement  of  the  law. 

3.  From  this  divine  lesson  of  instruction  the  follow- 
ing conclusions  may  be  drawn  : 


204  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

1.  The  divine  law  is  a  law  of  life,  and  this  life  being 
love,  which  is  the  nature  of  God,  is  eternal. 

2.  Jesus  Christ,  as  the  minister  of  eternal  life  to  sin- 
ful man,  fulfils  the  law  and  makes  it  honorable,  admin- 
istering wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification  and  re- 
demption to  those  who  are  his  inveterate  enemies  :  all 
which  the  law  of  his  Father  requires. 

3.  Whatever  priesthood,  in  whatever  age  of  the 
world,  fails  of  administering  this  life  to  the  sinner, 
comes  as  short  of  the  ministration  of  the  gospel,  as  it 
does  of  removing  the  distresses  of  sin  and  death. 

4.  As  the  doctrine  which  Jesus  taught  by  this  para- 
ble was  perfectly  calculated  to  destroy  the  enmity 
which  unhappily  existed  between  the  Jews  and  Sama- 
ritans, so  it  is  equally  well  calculated  to  destroy  that 
equally  unhappy  and  disgraceful  enmity  which  now  ex- 
ists between  the  different  denominations  of  the  christ- 
ian church. 

The  author  of  these  notes  and  illustrations  entertains 
no  expectation  that  his  labors,  on  this  subject,  will  be 
any  more  agreeable  or  pleasing  to  those,  in  the  present 
day,  who  contribute  with  ail  their  zeal,  to  the  support 
of  those  divisions,  than  these  arguments  of  Jesus  were 
to  the  lawyer  to  whom  he  spake,  or  to  the  priests  and 
Levites  whom  he  reproved,  and  who  were  zealous  to 
enrage  their  disciples  against  the  Samaritans. 

In  order  to  modify  this  parable,  so  as  to  have  it  cor- 
respond with  that  religion  which  is  dictated  by  the  wis- 
dom of  this  world,  it  would  be  necessary  to  introduce 
a  number  of  important  alterations,  such  as  the  follow- 
ing : 

1.  A  certain  learned  divine,  being  a  doctor  of  the 
law,  as  he  journied  that  way,  came  within  call  of  the 
half  dead,  wounded  man,  and   stood   still;  and  lifting 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  205 

up  his  voice  like  a  trumpet,  told  him  that  he  felt  great 
compassion  for  him,  that  he  could  not  bear  to  leave 
him  in  that  pitiful  and  forlorn  condition  to  perish.  He 
goes  on  and  proposes  that  if  he  will  rise  from  the 
ground  where  he  lies  wallowing  in  his  blood,  and  stand 
upright  as  a  man  ought  to  stand,  and  walk  to  him  with- 
out stumbling  or  fainting,  he  will  grant  him  all  needed 
assistance.  The  poor  wretch  now  exerts  the  little 
strength,  which  remains  in  his  broken  limbs,  but  is  im- 
mediately told  by  this  merciful  friend,  that  every 
struggle  he  makes  renders  his  state  still  worse ! 

2.  The  reverend  father  draws  still  nigher  with  a 
view  to  examine,  more  closely,  the  miserable  object 
before  him.  On  coming  near,  he  asks  him  concerning 
his  creed.  Do  you  believe  that  it  would  be  perfectly 
just  and  right  for  me  to  go  off  and  leave  you  here  to 
die  ?  Do  you  feel  perfectly  willing  to  lie  here  while 
life  remains  ?  Should  you  love  me  as  well  if  I  should 
break  all  your  bones  which  the  thieves  have  not  bro- 
ken, and  leave  you  to  perish,  as  you  should  if  I  should 
bind  up  your  wounds  and  restore  you  to  soundness  ? 
And  he  tells  him  that  he  must  answer  all  these  ques- 
tions in  the  affirmative,  or  there  is  no  mercy  for  him. 
The  poor  dying  man  looks  confused ! 

3.  This  faithful  minister  of  comfort  proceeds  to  lay 
before  this  object  of  pity  some  more  important  sub- 
jects ;  and  to  inform  him  that  there  are  a  great  multi- 
tude of  persons  in  the  same  situation  with  himself,  and 
that  it  is  necessary  for  him  to  believe,  that  he  is  deter- 
mined to  let  the  greatest  part  of  them  die  in  that  con- 
dition, which,  if  he  does  not  believe,  he  cannot  be  sav- 
ed himself!  The  wretch  forlorn  looks  wild  with  amaze- 
ment! 

18 


206  NOTES    ON    THE     PARABLES. 

4.  Faithful  to  his  profession,  this  lover  of  unfortu- 
nate sufferers  goes  on  with  great  zeal  to  inform  this 
perishing  man  that  in  order  that  a  few  of  the  many 
who  are  in  his  situation  should  be  relieved  and  enjoy 
his  favor,  it  is  necessary  that  the  greatest  part  of  them 
should  perish  in  the  most  awful  manner ;  and  that  as 
a  condition  of  his  deliverance,  he  must  possess  true  be- 
nevolence, and  be  willling  to  be  one  of  the  many  who 
are  not  delivered,  so  that  his  dreadful  sufferings  may 
redound  to  the  glory  of  the  deliverer  of  the  few,  and 
to  their  greater  happiness !  The  sufferer  begins  to 
draw  a  comparison  between  this  professed  friend,  and 
the  thieves  who  had  wounded  and  robbed  him,  and  is 
rather  puzzled  to  find  an  important  difference  ! 

5.  With  a  view  to  leave  nothing  undone  which  can 
be  done  to  save  this  miserable  object  of  charity,  this 
minister  of  truth  is  determined  to  clear  his  garments  of 
his  blood ;  which  to  do,  he  proceeds  with  an  affection- 
ate exhortation,  in  which  he  sets  forth  the  dangerous 
situation  which  all  are  in,  who,  like  him,  have  fallen 
among  thieves.  He  sets  forth  in  the  most  glowing 
colors,  the  dreadful  torments  to  which  he  is  exposed, 
unless  he  complies  with  the  conditions  which  have  been 
proposed ;  which  conditions,  he  urges,  are  perfectly 
reasonable,  and  all  within  his  power,  and  if  he  per- 
ishes, it  is  his  own  fault  entirely.  And  he  further  says, 
that  all  who  do  perish,  might  be  saved  if  they  would, 
that  it  is  their  own  will  alone  which  prevents  !  This 
exhortation  produces  either  delirium  or  despair ! 

The  difference  between  the  conduct  of  this  ortho- 
dox minister,  and  the  conduct  of  the  goodly  Samaritan 
in  the  parable,  discovers  the  difference  between  the 
wisdom  of  this  world,  and  the  wisdom  of  God ;  be- 
tween the  tender  mercies  of  the  wicked,  which  are 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  207 

cruelty,  and  the  mercy  of  the  Lord,  which  endureth 
forever. 

As  has  been  suggested,  the  instruction,  communi- 
cated in  this  parable,  is  as  well  calculated,  if  wisely 
improved,  to  destroy  the  hurtful  enmity,  now  existing 
between  the  different  denominations  of  the  Christian 
church,  as  it  was  to  destroy  that  which  existed  between 
the  Jews  and  the  Samaritans.  This  would  be  making 
a  very  profitable  use  of  the  parable ;  and  it  must  be 
considered  a  lamentable  dereliction  of  the  spirit  and 
principles  of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  in  the  clergy  of  the 
present  day,  that  they  strive  to  alienate  their  followers 
from  one  another  of  different  denominations. 

Without  applying  this  general  subject  to  the  use  for 
which  it  was  evidently  intended,  in  a  primary  sense, 
the  parable  contains  the  most  perfect  example  of  true 
charity,  and  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  pictures  of 
moral  virtue  that  can  be  found  in  all  the  writings  of  the 
moralist. 

This  Jew  was  an  enemy  to  the  Samaritan  by  edu- 
cation. When  the  Samaritan  finds  him  in  his  deplo- 
rable misery,  he  does  not  stop  to  reproach  him  of  any 
unworthiness,  does  not  inquire  the  business  which 
brought  him  there,  nor  the  means  by  which  he  was 
disabled  from  helping  himself;  but,  immediately  pro- 
ceeds to  acts  of  compassion  and  mercy,  binds  up  his 
wounds,  pouring  in  oil  and  wine,  and  makes  provision 
for  the  future,  at  his  own  expense. 


PARABLE   XXX. 

«  I  say  unto  you,  though  he  will  not  rise  and  give  him,  because  he  is  hi» 
friend;  yet  because  of  his  importunity  he  will  rise  and  give  him  as  many  as 
he  needeth.' — Luke  xi.  8. 

We  find  a  similar  passage  to  the  above  in  chapter 
xviii,  ver.  5 :  c  Yet,  because  this  woman  troubleth  me, 
I  will  avenge  her,  lest  by  her  continual  coming  she 
weary  me.'  These  passages  were  both  introduced  for 
the  same  purpose,  viz.  to  show  the  necessity  of  prayer, 
in  which  we  ought  to  be  exercised  without  fainting,  or 
doubting.  The  reader  will  turn  to  those  scriptures, 
and  read  them  with  their  connexions,  and  undoubted- 
ly, evidence  may  appear  in  support  of  the  following 
notes : 

1.  Prayer  is  the  channel  through  which  God  com- 
municates spiritual  blessings  to  the  soul ;  as  it  is  neces- 
sary for  us  to  feel  our  wants,  in  order  to  enjoy  those 
blessings  which  are  calculated  to  remove  them. 

2.  When  we  pray,  we  ought  to  entertain  the 
strongest  conviction  that  the  favors  needed  will  be 
granted ;  for,  if  a  man  who  was  comfortably  in  bed 
with  his  children,  would  not  arise  and  wait  on  his 
neighbor,  merely  because  he  was  his  friend,  yet  would, 
because  of  importunity;  certainly,  our  heavenly  Fa- 
ther, who  is  the  author  of  all  our  rational  wants,  and 
the  giver  of  the  spirit  of  prayer,  will  grant,  his  divine 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  209 

blessings  to  his  wanting,  praying  children.  And  if  a 
judge,  who  feared  not  God  nor  regarded  man,  would 
avenge  a  widow  of  her  adversaries,  because  of  her  con- 
tinual  requests,  how  much  more  may  it  be  expected 
that  God  will  avenge  bis  chosen,  whom  he  hath  called 
by  the  word  of  his  grace,  for  the  great  purpose  of  bear- 
ing witness  to  the  world  of  the  things  of  his  kingdom. 


ILLUSTRATION. 

The  methods  used,  by  our  Saviour,  to  communicate 
the  doctrine  of  truth,  appear  to  be  designed  to  give 
the  most  favorable  ideas  of  the  divine  character ;  nor 
does  it  seem,  by  the  similitudes  which  he  used,  that  he 
was  apprehensive  his  hearers  might  entertain  too  high 
an  opinion  of  the  goodness  of  God.  But  on  the  con- 
trary, he  chose  out  of  the  wide  field  of  the  human  pas- 
sions, with  which  he  was  perfectly  acquainted,  those 
which  breathe  the  greatest  tenderness,  and  are  the 
most  active  in  deeds  of  mercy,  as  similitudes  by  which 
to  commend  the  goodness  of  God  to  mankind  ;  taking 
care  always,  to  arrange  his  discourse  so  as  to  indicate 
that  the  tenderest  of  human  affections  were  every  way 
inferior  to  the  divine  goodness. 

In  connexion  with  our  parable,  Jesus  appealed  to 
the  tender  affections  of  those  who  were  fathers,  for  an 
illustration  of  his  doctrine.  The  divine  truth  with 
which  he  was  endeavoring  to  make  them  acquainted, 
was,  that  our  heavenly  Father  would  not  fail  to  bestow 
his  favors  on  those  who  should  call  upon  him.  See 
the  subject  continued  from  the  8th  to  the  13th  verse, 
inclusive :  '  And  I  say  unto  you,  ask,  and  it  shall  be 
given  you  ;  seek,  and  ye  shall  find  ;  knock,  and  it  shall 
18* 


210  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

be  opened  unto  you.  For  every  one  that  asketh,  re- 
ceiveth  ;  and  he  that  seeketh,  findeth  ;  and  to  him  that 
knocketh,  it  shall  be  opened.  If  a  son  shall  ask  bread 
of  any  of  you  that  is  a  father,  will  he  give  him  a  stone? 
or,  if  he  ask  a  fish,  will  he  for  a  fish  give  him  a  ser- 
pent ?  Or,  if  he  shall  ask  an  egg,  will  he  offer  him  a 
scorpion  ?  If  ye  then  being  evil,  know  how  to  give 
good  gifts  unto  your  children,  how  much  more  shall 
your  heavenly  Father  give  the  holy  spirit  to  them  that 
ask  him  ?'  This  important  address  to  the  fatherly  af- 
fections, places  the  doctrine  of  Jesus  at  an  infinite  ele- 
vation above  that  unmerciful  doctrine  which  dispos- 
sesses the  parent  of  all  his  better  feelings  towards  his 
offspring,  and  gives  him  a  heart  to  rejoice  in  the  end- 
less torment  of  a  once  beloved  son  !  But  the  particu- 
lar cast  of  the  parable  under  consideration,  varies 
much  from  the  above,  queries  in  regard  to  the  parental 
love;  for  in  the  parable,  even  friendship  is  excluded  ; 
and  the  conclusion  then  is,  that  rather  than  to  be  im- 
portuned incessantly,  he  would  rise  and  give  as  much 
as  was  needed.  With  this  argument  of  the  Saviour, 
let  us  compare  the  current  opinion  that  our  heavenly 
Father  will  remain  forever  deaf  to  the  cries  of  souls  in 
never  ending  anguish.  It  seems  that  the  Saviour  de- 
signed to  dispose  his  subject  so  as  to  compare  the  least 
with  the  greatest.  He  does  not  suppose,  therefore, 
any  relation  by  blood,  such  as  father,  brother,  or  son  ; 
nor  does  he  allow  even  friendship  to  have  any  thing  to 
do  in  granting  the  assistance  wanted  ;  but  very  justly 
supposes  that  importunity  alone  would  prevail.  On 
the  other  hand,  stands  exhibited  the  divine  relation  in 
which  our  heavenly  Father  constituted  man  to  himself; 
he  is  acknowledged  to  be,  not  only  a  friend,  but  a  fa- 
ther ;  and   the    petitioners  stand   in   the  character  of 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  211 

sons.  The  just  conclusion  is,  therefore,  if  success  at- 
tended importunity  in  the  first  instance,  no  doubt  could 
be  reasonably  entertained  in  the  last. 

As  has  been  noticed,  the  Saviour,  in  continuing 
this  argument,  made  use  of  this  divine  relation, 
and  the  confidence  which  might  be  built  upon  it ; 
which  he  illustrated  by  the  fatherly  affections  of  his 
hearers. 

Such  arguments  must  be  acknowledged  to  be  di- 
vinely beautiful,  if  the  fact  established  by  them  be  true  ; 
but  if  not  true,  why  should  the  Saviour  use  arguments 
to  establish  it  ? 

One  particular  in  the  current  doctrine  of  the  pres- 
ent day,  is,  that  our  heavenly  Father,  from  all  eterni- 
ty, predestinated  millions  of  his  rational  offspring  to 
endure  endless  misery  and  despair.  Now  compare 
this  opinion,  in  which  our  learned  doctors  are  estab- 
lished, with  the  arguments  of  the  Saviour  above  quot- 
ed. 'I  say  unto  you,  ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  unto 
you  ;  seek,  and  ye  shall  find ;  knock,  and  it  shall  be 
opened  unto  you.'  That  is,  I  am  authorised,  and  it  is 
my  business,  pursuant  to  authority  vested  in  me,  to 
tell  you  for  certainty,  that  if  you  ask,  you  shall  receive. 
Let  us  suppose,  what  we  have  no  scripture  to  prove, 
that  Jesus  taught,  that  his  Father  had  predestinated 
the  greatest  part  of  mankind  to  endure  endless  misery ; 
and  then  suppose  that  one  of  his  disciples  should  have 
asked  him  the  following  question  :  Rabbi,  thou  hast 
been  very  particular  in  assuring  us  that  the  greatest 
part  of  mankind  are  already  doomed  to  suffer  eternal- 
ly, and  thou  wilt  not  allow  that  any  man  can  be  thy 
disciple  unless  he  believe  this  fundamental  article  of 
faith;  if,  then,  the  greatest  part  of  mankind,  or  even 
all  of  them,  should  ask,  seek,  and  knock,  would  the 


21:2  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

greatest  part,  or  even  all,  receive  mercy,  find  favor  and 
be  admitted  ?  How  could  this  question  receive  a  fair, 
unevasive  answer,  consistently  with  the  above  text, 
and  with  the  foregoing  suppositions? 

It  may  be  proper  to  notice  another  very  common 
method  made  use  of  to  exclude  mankind,  in  general, 
from  the  divine  favor,  which  is  by  supposing  that  but  a 
small  part  of  mankind  will  ever  ask,  seek,  or  knock, 
and  that  the  greater  part  will  fail,  finally,  of  obtaining 
the  divine  favor,  for  this  their  needless  neglect.  This 
argument  must  be  considered  extremely  defective  in 
the  following  particulars. 

1.  The  proposition,  on  which  this  argument  is  built, 
has  no  foundation  but  in  mere  conjecture ;  there  being 
no  scripture  authority  for  its  support. 

2.  The  argument  supposes  that  our  heavenly  Father 
feels  so  little  interest  in  our  coming  to  him,  in  our  seek- 
ing after  him,  &c,  that  it  is  a  matter  for  which  he  will 
not  provide  means,  adequate  to  its  accomplishment. 

That  divine  revelation  teaches  differently  may  be 
seen  by  the  following:  See  Jeremiah  xxix,  10 — 14: 
'  For  thus  saith  the  Lord,  that  after  seventy  years  be 
accomplished  at  Babylon,  I  will  visit  you  and  perform 
my  good  word  towards  you,  in  causing  you  to  return 
to  this  place.  For  I  know  the  thoughts  that  I  think 
towards  you,  saith  the  Lord,  thoughts  of  peace  and  not 
of  evil,  to  give  you  an  expected  end.  Then  shall  ye 
call  upon  me,  and  ye  shall  go  and  pray  unto  me,  and 
I  will  hearken  unto  you.  And  ye  shall  seek  me,  and 
find  me,  when  ye  shall  search  for  me  with  all  your 
heart.  And  I  will  be  found  of  you,  saith  the  Lord  ; 
and  I  will  turn  away  your  captivity,  and  I  will  gather 
you  from  all  the  nations,  and  from  all  the  places  whith- 
er I  have  driven  you,  saith  the  Lord  ;  and  I  will  bring 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  213 

you  again  into  the  place,  whence  I  caused  you  to  be 
carried  away  captive.'  See  chap,  xxiv,  6,1 :  '  For  I 
will  set  mine  eyes  upon  them  for  good,  and  I  will 
bring  them  again  to  this  land  ;  and  I  will  build  them, 
and  not  pull  them  down ;  and  I  will  plant  them,  and 
not  pluck  them  up.  And  I  will  give  them  an  heart  to 
know  me,  that  I  am  the  Lord ;  and  they  shall  be  my 
people  and  I  will  be  their  God ;  for  they  shall  return 
unto  me  with  their  whole  heart.'  See  Acts  xv,  16, 
17,  18:  'After  this  I  will  return,  and  will  build  again 
the  tabernacle  of  David,  which  is  fallen  down ;  and  I 
will  build  again  the  ruins  thereof,  and  I  will  set  it  up  ; 
that  the  residue  of  men  might  seek  after  the  Lord, 
and  all  the  Gentiles  upon  whom  my  name  is  called, 
saith  the  Lord,  who  doeth  all  these  things.  Known 
unto  God  are  all  his  works  from  the  beginning  of  the 
world.'  In  the  first  passage  quoted  from  Jeremiah, 
God  promises  what  the  people  shall  do,  as  well  as 
what  he  himself  will  do :  and  in  the  second  passage, 
God  says  he  will  give  them  an  heart  to  know  him ;  so 
that  the  whole  depends  on  him  who  makes  the  prom- 
ise, and  who  has  the  power  to  perform  it.  In  short, 
it  is  hard  to  account  for  the  belief  of  a  sentiment  which 
places  the  whole  scheme  of  the  gospel  at  the  disposal 
of  that  very  enmity  of  the  sinner's  heart,  which  it  was 
designed,  by  our  merciful  Father  in  heaven  to  over- 
come and  destroy.  If  it  be  granted  that  our  Father 
in  heaven  has  manifested  his  will,  in  the  salvation  of 
all  men,  and  their  coming  unto  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth,  as  St.  Paul  testifies  to  Timothy  ;  with  what  pro- 
priety can  we  suppose  that  this  will  of  God,  supported 
with  all  the  means  of  grace  in  the  hands  of  a  media- 
tor, to  whom  is  committed  all  power  in  heaven  and  in 
earth,  will  finally  be  frustrated  by  the  will  of  wicked 


214  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

men  ?  This  would  undoubtedly  be  the  case,  if  the  old 
serpent  called  the  devil,  had  the  power  to  have  it  so ! 
On  no  other  ground  can  it  be  expected.  To  show 
this  matter  in  its  natural  light,  let  us  ask,  whether  any 
of  the  human  race  would  be  saved  from  sin  and  death, 
if  this  old  serpent  had  the  power  to  prevent  it  ?  An- 
swer, no.  On  the  other  hand,  will  any  of  the  human 
race  remain  eternally  in  a  state  of  sin  and  death,  if 
the  blessed  mediator  have  power  to  prevent  it  ?  An- 
swer, no ;  for  how  can  there  be  an  agreement  be- 
tween the  seed  of  the  woman  and  the  serpent  ? 

The  prophet  Zephaniah  has  a  most  beautiful  pas- 
sage, which  shows  the  end  of  the  ministration  of  wrath, 
and  the  glory  that  will  follow.  See  chap,  iii,  8,  9 : 
'  Therefore  wait  ye  upon  me,  saith  the  Lord,  until 
the  day  that  I  rise  up  to  the  prey  ;  for  my  determi- 
nation is  to  gather  the  nations,  that  I  may  assemble 
the  kingdoms,  to  pour  upon  them  mine  indignation, 
even  all  my  fierce  anger  :  for  all  the  earth  shall  be  de- 
voured with  the  fire  of  my  jealousy.  For  then  will  I 
turn  to  the  people  a  pure  language,  that  they  may 
all  call  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord,  to  serve  him  with 


PARABLE  XXXI. 

*  He  spake  also  this  parable  :  A  certain  man  had  a  fig-tree  planted  in  his 
vineyard,  and  he  came  and  sought  fruit  thereon,  and  found  none.  Then  said 
he  unto  the  dresser  of  his  vineyard,  Behold,  these  three  years  I  come  seeking 
fruit  on  this  fig-tree,  and  find  none  :  cut  it  down,  why  cumbeieth  it  the 
groundl     And  he  answering  said  unto  him,  Lord,  let  it  alone  th.s  year  also, 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  215 

till  I  shall  dig  about  it,  and  dung  it  :  and  if  it  bear  fruit,    well  :  and  if  not, 
then  after  that  thou  shalt  cut  it  down. ' — Luke  xiii,  6,  7,  8,  9. 

This  parable  was  spoken  in  reply  to  those  who 
told  Jesus  of  the  Galileans  whose  blood  Pilate  had 
mingled  with  their  sacrifices.  Jesus  taking  into  con- 
sideration, also,  the  eighteen  on  whom  the  tower  in 
Siloam  fell,  asked  them  if  they  thought  these  were 
sinners  above  all  the  Galileans  and  the  dwellers  in 
Jerusalem  ;  which  question  he  answers  himself,  saying ; 
'  I  say  unto  you,  nay,  but  except  ye  repent,  ye  shall 
all  likewise  perish.'  Then  he  introduces  the  above 
parable,  by  which,  he  points  at  the  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem and  the  Jews. 

1 .  By  a  fig-tree,  is  meant  the  house  of  Israel,  which 
the  Lord  planted  in  the  goodly  land  of  promise. 

2.  The  barrenness  of  the  house  of  Israel,  in  respect 
to  the  fruits  of  righteousness,  is  signified  by  the  fruit- 
lessness  of  the  fig-tree. 

3.  That,  judging  the  Jews  only  by  their  barrenness, 
it  was  then  time  they  were  cut  down  or  destroyed,  as 
cumberers  of  the  holy  land ;  but  Christ,  who  was  the 
dresser  of  the  vineyard,  seems  to  represent  a  short 
time  in  which  he  should  grant  them  great  advantages, 
which,  after  they  had  neglected,  they  would  be  des- 
troyed. 


ILLUSTRATION. 


The  house  of  Israel,  as  represented  by  this  unfruit- 
ful fig-tree,  is  a  just  representation  of  all  those  national 
churches,  who  punctually  attend  to  the  outward  forms 
of  religion   and  neglect  to  bring  forth  the  fruits  of  the 


216  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

gospel.  Nor  need  we  confine  this  application  to  na- 
tional churches,  as  it  is  very  evident  that  many  church- 
es in  Christendom  who  are  not  of  that  establishment, 
have,  and  pride  themselves  in  having,  a  similarity  of 
character  with  natural  churches.  Another  striking 
figure  by  which  such  churches  are  represented,  we  find 
in  St.  Matt,  xxi,  18,  19  :  '  Now  in  the  morning,  as  he 
returned  into  the  city  he  hungered.  And  when  he 
saw  a  fig-tree  in  the  way,  he  came  to  it,  and  found 
nothing  thereon  but  leaves  only,  and  said  unto  it,  Let 
no  fruit  grow  on  thee  henceforward  forever.  And 
presently  the  fig-tree  withered  away.'  This  fig-tree  re- 
sembled the  then  present  Jewish  church,  as  well  as 
all  churches  of  a  similar  character.  This  tree  is  not 
represented  to  have  been  wanting  in  size,  in  age,  in 
height,  or  verdure,  but  in  fruit  only.  All  this  might 
be  said  of  those  churches  of  which  we  speak.  They 
frequently  appear  in  a  flourishing  condition,  they  may 
grow  to  be  numerous,  and  to  adorn  themselves  with  a 
great  many  worldly  excellences,  honors  and  dignities  ; 
all  of  which  serve  to  beautify  them,  not  in  the  sight  of 
God,  but  in  the  sight  of  men,  who  have  the  vanity  to 
pride  themselves  in  such  appearances.  When  religion 
becomes  the  creature  of  state  government,  and  is  shap- 
ed according  to  the  pattern  of  tyrannical  and  oppres- 
sive power,  it  is  always  the  object  of  that  order  of  cler- 
gy who  look  to  the  public  ruler  for  temporal  support, 
to  bend  every  thing,  as  much  as  possible,  to  please 
the  vain,  ostentatious  and  even  ambitious  views  of 
such  a  patron.  In  such  a  case,  what  may  reasonably 
be  expected,  but  to  have  the  character  of  the  Saviour 
exhibited  and  illustrated  by  that  of  the  oppressor,  the 
tyrant,  the  unmerciful  ruler  ? 

From  the  fatal  moment  the  civil  power  of  Rome  di- 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  217 

rected  its  distempered  policy  tc  water  the  christian 
church,  it  is  true  it  flourished  greatly  ;  its  branches 
became  numerous  and  extensive  ;  it  clothed  itself  with 
the  leafy  honors  which  had  adorned  the  pagan  wor- 
ship ;  but  it  decreased  in  respect  to  the  genuine  fruits 
of  the  gospel,  in  the  same  ratio,  until  it  became  as 
destitute  of  fruit  as  the  fig-tree  was,  which  we  have  ta- 
ken for  an  emblem.  In  churches  not  constituted  by 
civil  authority,  the  spirit  of  dominion  and  oppression 
clothes  itself  with  an  ecclesiastical  government,  and 
gratifies  the  pride  and  vanity  of  its  votaries  with  the 
privileges  of  imposing  creeds,  forms  of  worship,  and 
modes  of  discipline,  on  the  ignorance  and  superstition 
of  stupid  minds.  If  such  a  church  succeed  in  its  in- 
fluence, to  control  colleges  and  other  seminaries  of 
learning,  as  is  the  case  in  this  country,  the  clergy,  in 
possession  of  such  means,  will  not  fail  to  use  them  to 
extend  their  fig-tree,  and  to  adorn  it  with  showy  leaves, 
and  pride  themselves  in  its  verdure.  But  as  to  the 
fruits  of  the  gospel,  we  are  not  to  find  them  on  such 
trees.  As  the  spirit  of  dominion,  tyranny  and  ambi- 
tion was  never  satisfied,  so  we  find  every,  order  of 
clergy,  throughout  the  world,  who  partake  of  this 
spirit,  ever  striving  to  the  utmost  stretch  of  their  influ- 
ence, to  marry  their  darling  church  to  the  govern- 
ment of  state,  and  to  found  it  on  this  rock,  against 
which,  they  trust,  the  gates  of  hell  cannot  prevail.  If 
disappointed  in  this  favorite  object,  then  we  hear  the 
cry  of  the  clergy,  against  the  rulers,  whom  they  rep- 
resent as  being  destitute  of  all  religion  themselves,  and 
as  being  disposed  to  prostrate  its  beautiful  fabric,  and 
to  deprive  it  of  its  blessed  influence  in  the  world. 
All  such  churches  must  meet  the  fate  of  the  fig-tree ; 
they  must  wither  away,  they  must  lose  their  verdure 
19 


218  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

their  deciduous  leaves  will  fall,  and  their  candlestick 
must  be  removed. 

It  would  undoubtedly  be  an  unjustifiable  omission 
not  to  apply  this  subject  to  individuals  ;  for,  in  gene- 
ral, admonitions  which  are  proper  for  nations,  church- 
es, or  other  communities,  may  be  profitably  applied  to 
individuals.  It  is  easily  seen,  that  if  no  individual  was 
disposed  to  adorn  himself  with  those  outside  appear- 
ances of  religion  and  piety,  to  the  neglect  of  the  real 
fruits  of  the  spirit,  there  could  be  found  no  large  bo- 
dies of  people,  such  as  associations  and  churches,  of 
this  cast.  Let  each  soul,  then,  look  at  home,  exam- 
ine with  caution  whether  his  religion  be  all  outside 
show,  open  profession,  fig-leaf  righteousness,  without 
the  fruits  of  the  spirit,  which  are  love,  joy,  peace,  long- 
suffering,  gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness  and 
temperance.  If  in  these  fruits  we  abound,  then  may 
we  say  with  propriety,  '  Let  my  beloved  come  into 
his  garden,  and  eat  his  pleasant  fruit.' 


PARABLE  XXXII. 

*  For  which  of  you,  intending  to  build  a  tower,  sitteth  not  down  first  and 
counteth  the  cost,  whether  he  have  sufficient  to  finish  it ;  lest  haply,  after  he 
hath  laid  the  foundation,  and  is  not  able  to  finish  it,  all  that  behold  it  begin 
to  mock  him,  saying,  This  man  began  to  build,  and  was  not  able  to  finish. 
Or  what  king,  going  to  make  war  against,  another  king,  sitteth  not  down 
first,  and  consulteth,  whether  he  be  able,  with  ten  thousand,  to  meet  him  that 
coraeth  against  him  with  twenty  thousand!  or  else,  while  the  other  is  yet  a 
great  way  oflf,  he  sendeth  an  embassage,  and  desireth  conditions  of  peace.' 
—Luke  xiv,  28—32. 

In  these  parables,  Christ  taught  those  who  pretend- 
ed to  be  his  disciples,  the  indispensable  requisitions  in 


NOTES    ON    THE      PARABLES.  219 

their  discipleship.  To  be  a  disciple  of  Christ,  a  man 
must  do  as  nearly  as  possible  as  Christ  did  ;  make  ra- 
tional calculations  like  him  whom  he  calls  his  mas- 
ter, and  endeavor  to  walk  as  he  walked.  Therefore, 
to  give  the  right  sense  of  the  above  parables,  I  first 
apply  them  to  Christ,  and  then  to  the  character  of  a 
disciple. 

First,  Christ  is  represented  as  follows  : 

1.  By  a  man  who  undertook  to  build*  a  tower. 
By  a  tower,  I  understand  that  building  of  which 
Christ  himself  is  the  chief  corner  stone. 

2.  By  first  setting  down  and  counting  the  cost,  to 
see  if  he  had  sufficient  to  finish,  I  understand,  that 
Christ  counted  the  great  cost  of  the  work  which  he 
undertook  in  the  salvation  of  a  world,  and  though  it 
was  immense,  knew  he  was  able  to  accomplish  it. 

2.  That,  having  taken  those  precautions,  he  will 
not  at  last  be  mocked  for  undertaking  more  than  he 
was  able  to  accomplish. 

4.  The  Saviour  is  represented  by  a  king  going 
to  make  war  with  another  king,  whom  I  understand 
to  be  the  father  of  lies,  or  the  king  of  the  bottomless 
pit. 

5.  The  Saviour,  or  Prince  of  Peace,  consulteth 
whether  he  be  able  to  meet  his  foe ;  and  though  he 
had  not  the  numbers  in  his  service  which  his  adversa- 
ry commanded,  he  discovered,  by  divine  wisdom,  one 
only  method  of  victory ;  which  was  by  laying  down 
his  life.  Offering  it  in  the  high  places  of  the  field,  he 
could  effect  the  death  of  his  adversary,  and  having 
power  to  take  his  life  again,  which  his  enemy  had  not, 
his  victory  would  be  worthy  of  the  highest  glory  and 
honor,  and  eternally  complete, 


220  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

6.  Under  the  consideration  of  these  circumstances, 
we  are  not  to  suppose  that  our  glorious  Redeemer  will 
ever  sue  for  conditions  of  capitulation  with  the  father 
of  lies,  nor  ask  for  an  armistice  until  the  man  of  sin 
is  destroyed  by  the  breath  of  divine  truth,  and  con- 
sumed by  the  brightness  of  the  coming  of  him,  who 
cometh  from  Edom,  with  dyed  garments  from  Bozrah ; 
who  is  glorious  in  his  apparel,  travelling  in  the  great- 
ness of  his  strength  ;  who  speaketh  in  righteousness, 
and  is  mighty  to  save. 

Secondly.  In  applying  the  parables  to  show  the  re- 
quisitions in  the  character  of  a  disciple  of  Christ  I 
observe : 

1.  As  Christ  had  before  told  the  people,  that  unless 
a  man  should  take  up  his  cr^oss,  and  bear  it,  and  follow 
him,  he  could  not  be  his  disciple  ;  so  he  shows,  in 
the  parable,  that  unless  they  calculated  on  as  high  an  ex- 
pense  as  the  loss  of  their  lives,  they  could  not  be  his 
disciples,  as  he  had  calculated  that  expense  for  himself. 

2.  That  if  they  expected  to  be  builders  in  the  christian 
temple,  they  must  not  only  dig  deep  and  lay  their  foun- 
dation upon  a  rock,  but  must  look  for  sufficiency  for 
accomplishing  their  labor  from  the  grace  of  the  great 
Redeemer. 

3.  .That  a  profession  of  Christianity,  without  those 
calculations,  would  tend  to  their  own  shame,  and  a 
dishonor  of  the  cause  which  they  professed  to  es- 
pouse. 

4.  That  if  they  could  not  calculate  on  a  victory  over 
the  adversary,  by  way  of  the  cross,  but  undertook  the 
contest  under  any  other  consideration,  they  were  not 
so  wise  as  a  king  who  would  send  an  embassage  to  his 
foe,  and  sue  for  conditions  of  peace,  knowing  that  he 
was  not  able  to  contend  with  double  numbers. 


ILLUSTRATION. 


That  Christ's  ransomed  church  is  represented  by  a 
building,  may  be  shown  by  the  following  scriptures  : 
1  Cor.  hi,  9,  '  Ye  are  God's  building.'  16,  '  Know  ye 
not  that  ye  are  the  temple  of  God,  and  that  the  spirit 
of  God  dwelleth  in  you  ? '  2  Cor.  vi,  16:  '  And  what 
agreement  hath  the  temple  of  God  with  idols  ?  for 
ye  are  the  temple  of  the  living  God  :  as  God  hath 
said,  I  will  dwell  in  them  ;  and  I  will  be  their  God, 
and  they  shall  be  my  people.'  Eph.  ii,  19 — 22: 
'  Now,  therefore,  ye  are  no  more  strangers  and  for- 
eigners, but  fellow  citizens  with  the  saints,  and  of  the 
household  of  God  ;  and  are  built  upon  the  foundation 
of  the  apostles  and  prophets,  Jesus  Christ  himself 
being  the  chief  corner  stone  :  in  whom  all  the  build- 
ing,  fitly  framed  together,  groweth  unto  an  holy  tem- 
ple in  the  Lord  ;  in  whom  ye  also  are  builded  togeth- 
er for  an  habitation  of  God  through  the  spirit.' 

The  rearing  of  this  mystical  temple  of  God,  suggests 
the  following  subjects  of  discussion  : 

1.  The  materials  of  which  this  building  is  compos- 
ed : 

2.  The  situation  from  which  these  materials  are  ta- 
ken, and  their  preparation  for  this  temple  ;  and, 

3.  The  skill,  and  operative  power  of  the  builder  to 
complete  the  work. 

1.  The  materials  of  which  this  building  is  compos- 
ed, are  mankind  under  the  denominations  of  the  Jew 
and  the  Gentile  world.     This  idea  is  found  in  the  in- 
19* 


222  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

traduction  of  the  above  quotation  from  Ephesians  ;  see 
verse  11,  and  onward:  'Wherefore,  remember,  that 
ye  being  in  time  past  Gentiles  in  the  flesh,  who  are 
called  uncircumcision  by  that  which  is  called  the  cir- 
cumcision in  the  flesh  made  by  hands  ;  and  that  at  that 
time  ye  were  without  Christ,  being  aliens  from  the 
commonwealth  of  Israel,  and  strangers  from  the  cove- 
nant of  promise,  having  no  hope,  and  without  God  in 
the  world  ;  but  now,  in  Christ  Jesus,  ye  who  some- 
times were  far  off  are  made  nigh  by  the  blood  of 
Christ.  For  he  is  our  peace,  who  hath  made  both  one, 
and  hath  broken  down  the  middle  wall  of  partition  be- 
tween us  ;  having  abolished  in  his  flesh  the  enmity, 
even  the  law  of  commandments  contained  in  ordinan- 
ces ;  for  to  make  in  himself  of  twain,  one  new  man, 
so  making  peace  ;  and  that  he  might  reconcile  both 
unto  God  in  one  body  by  the  cross,  having  slain  the 
enmity  thereby ;  and  came  and  preached  peace  to  you 
which  were  afar  off,  and  to  them  that  were  nigh.  For 
through  him  we  both  have  access  by  one  spirit  unto 
the  Father.' 

Here  we  see  that  the  apostle  represents  the  Jews 
under  the  denomination  of  the  circumcision,  and  the 
Gentiles  under  that  of  the  uncircumcision.  These, 
he  argues,  are  made  one  by  him  who  is  our  peace ; 
and  by  observing  the  connexion  of  the  argument,  we 
find  that  these  two,  made  one,  are  the  materials  of 
which  the  before  mentioned  temple  of  God  is  com- 
posed. 

2.  The  situation  from  which  these  materials  are  ta- 
ken, and  their  preparation  for  this  temple,  we  also 
learn  from  the  arguments  in  the  above  quotation. 
The  situation  of  the  Gentiles  is  represented  as  follows  : 
'  Without   Christ,  being   aliens   from  the  commmon- 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  223 

wealth  of  Israel,  and  strangers  from   the  covenant  of 
promise,  having  no  hope,  and  without  God  in   the 
world.'     This  was  the  situation  of  the  Gentiles.     The 
Jews  are  represented  as  being  only  circumcised  in  the 
flesh,  with  hands ;    which  the  same  apostle  tells  us 
availeth   nothing  in   Christ.     The  method  by  which 
these  materials  are  prepared  for  this  temple,  is  express- 
ed in  the  following  words :  '  And  that  he  might  rec- 
oncile both  unto  God  in  one  body  by  the  cross,  having 
slain  the  enmity   thereby.'     Reconciliation  to  God  is 
the  preparation  necessary.     How  was  this  reconcilia- 
tion effected  ?     Was  it  by  any  thing  wrought  by  these 
unreconciled    people  ?     No.     The    apostle    says  that 
Christ  did  this   by  the  cross.    How  was  the  enmity  des- 
troyed ?     By  the  cross.     What  was  the  consequence  ? 
Peace   was    preached   to     them  who  were   afar   off, 
and  to  them  who   were   nigh.      The    universality   of 
this    reconciliation,  the  apostle  mentions  in  a  num- 
ber of  passages,  particularly,  Col.  i,   19,  20 :    '  For   it 
pleased    the  Father,   that   in  him  should  all  fulness 
dwell ;  and  (having  made  peace  through  the  blood  of 
his  cross)  by  him  to  reconcile  all  things  unto  himself; 
by  him  I  say,  whether  they  be  things  in  earth,  or  things 
in  heaven.' 

It  being  evident  that  the  plan  of  reconciliation  to  God, 
embraces  the  whole  human  family,  it  may  be  well, 

3.  To  inquire  whether  this  reconciler  has  sufficient 
skill  and  power  to  effect  so  great  a  work.  See  Eph. 
ii.  4,  5,  6  :  '  But  God,  who  is  rich  in  mercy,  for  his 
great  love  wherewith  he  loved  us,  even  when  we  were 
dead  in  sins,  hath  quickened  us  together  with  Christ ; 
(by  grace  are  ye  saved ;)  and  hath  raised  us  up  to- 
gether, and  made  us  sit  together  in  heavenly  places  in 
Christ  Jesus.'     Here  the  apostle   produces  instances, 


224  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

in  which  God,  for  the  great  love  which  he  has  for  those 
who  are  dead  in  sins,  quickened  them  in  Christ. 
See  also  Phil,  hi,  21  :  '  Who  shall  change  our  vile 
body,  that  it  may  be  fashioned  like  unto  his  glorious 
body,  according  to  the  working  whereby  he  is  able 
even  to  subdue  all  things  unto  himself  Here  the 
ability  is  fully  expressed.  1  Cor.  xv,  53,  54  :  '  For 
this  corruptible  must  put  on  incorruption,  and  this 
mortal  must  put  on  immortality  ;  So  when  this  corrup- 
tible shall  have  put  on  incorruption,  and  this  mortal 
shall  have  put  on  immortality,  then  shall  be  brought  to 
pass  the  saying  that  is  written,  death  is  swallowed  up 
in  victory.' 

If  it  be  acknowledged  that  all  the  treasures  of  wis- 
dom and  knowledge  dwell  in  Christ,  it  must  be  ac- 
knowledged likewise  that  he  wants  no  skill  to  accom- 
plish  his  undertaking;  and  if  it  be  granted  that  all 
power  in  heaven  and  in  earth  is  committed  to  Christ, 
it  must  also  be  granted  that  he  has  sufficient  power  to 
accomplish  his  design  in  reconciling  all  things  to  him- 
self. Zech.  iv,  9  :  '  The  hands  of  Zerubbabel  have 
laid  the  foundation  of  this  house  ;  his  hands  shall  also 
finish  it.'  Verse  7  :  '  And  he  shall  bring  forth  the 
head  stone  thereof  with  shoutings,  crying,  Grace,  grace 
unto  it.' 

The  process  of  the  Saviour  under  the  similitude  of  a 
kins  ooinor  to  make  war  against  another,  furnishes  the 
following  subject  for  discussion : 

1.  The  power  against  which  this  war  is  prosecuted; 
2.  The  object  to  be  obtained  by  victory  in  favor  of 
Christ ;  And  3.  The  sufficiency  of  power  to  overcome 
on  the  part  of  the  Prince  of  Peace. 

1.  The  Scriptures  give  the  following  account  of  the 
power  against  which  tins  holy  war  is  to  be  prosecuted. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  225 

Gen.  iii ,  1  :  '  Now  the  serpent  was  more  subtle  than 
any  beast  of  the  field  which  the  Lord  God  had  made.' 
2.  Cor.  xi3  3  :  '  But  I  fear,  lest  by  any  means,  as  the 
serpent  beguiled  Eve  through  his  subtility,  so  your 
minds  should  be  corrupted  from  the  simplicity  that  is 
in  Christ.'  St.  John  viii,  4  :  '  Ye  are  of  your  father 
the  devil,  and  the  lusts  of  your  father  ye  will  do  :  he 
was  a  murderer  from  the  bemnninsj,  and  abode  not  in 
the  truth,  because  there  is  no  truth  in  him.  When  he 
speaketh  a  lie,  he  speaketh  of  his  own  ;  for  he  is  a  liar, 
and  the  father  of  it.'  1  John  iii,  8  :  'He  that  com- 
mitteth  sin  is  of  the  devil ;  for  the  devil  sinneth  from 
the  beginning.'  James  iii,  14,  15,  16  :  '  But  if  ye  have 
bitter  envying  and  strife  in  your  hearts,  glory  not,  and 
lie  not  against  the  truth.  This  wisdom  descendeth  not 
from  above,  but  is  earthly,  sensual,  devilish.  For  where 
envying  and  strife  is,  there  is  confusion,  and  every  evil 
work.' 

The  Scriptures  which  speak  of  the  power  of  Christ 
to  oppose  and  overcome  this  adversary,  and  the  ob- 
ject to  be  obtained  by  this  victory,  will  be  found  to  be 
the  same,  generally.  See  Gen.  iii,  15  :  '  And  I  will 
put  enmity  between  thee  and  the  woman,  and  between 
thy  seed  and  her  seed :  and  it  shall  bruise  thy  head, 
and  thou  shalt  bruise  his  heel.'  Heb.  ii,  14,  15  :  c  For- 
as-much  then  as  the  children  are  partakers  of  flesh  and 
blood,  he  also  himself  likewise  took  part  of  the  same ; 
that  through  death  he  might  destroy  him  that  had  the 
power  of  death,  that  is,  the  devil ;  and  deliver  them 
who,  through  fear  of  death,  were  all  their  life  time 
subject  to  bondage.'  1  John  iii,  8 ;  '  For  this  pur- 
pose the  Son  of  God  was  manifested,  that  he  might  de- 
stroy the  works  of  the  devil.'  Col.  i,  13  :  '  Who  hath 
delivered  us  from  the  power  of  darkness,  and  hath 
translated  us  into  the  kingdom  of  his  dear  Son.5 


226  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

By  the  foregoing  quotations,  which  are  but  a  few  of 
the  many  scriptures  which  read  to  the  same  effect,  the 
following  facts  are  evident : 

1.  That  it  was  the  design  of  the  Saviour's  mission 
to  destroy  the  devil,  and  all  sin,  the  works  of  the  devil. 
And, 

2.  To  deliver  mankind  from  the  power  of  darkness, 
which  is  the  power  of  the  devil,  or  falsehood,  into  the 
kingdom  of  light,  truth  and  righteousness.  These  two 
propositions  are  as  evidently  supported  by  the  above 
quotations,  as  the  facts  are,  that  there  is  or  ever  was 
that  power  which  is  represented  in  the  Scriptures  un- 
der the  name  of  serpent,  father  of  lies,  darkness, 
devil,  or  sat  an ;  or  such  a  power  as  is  represented  by 
the  name  of  Seed  of  the  woman,  Sen  of  God,  Media- 
tor, Saviour,  Captain  of  Salvation,  High  Priest, 
Light  of  the  world,  Lamb  of  God,  Covenant  of  the 
people,  and  Lord  of  all. 

From  these  facts  it  is  reasonable  to  argue,  that  all 
the  doctrine,  which  has  ever  been  preached  in  Chris- 
tendom, which  teaches  the  endless  continuance  of  the 
devil  and  his  kingdom,  and  the  endless  continuance 
of  man's  captivity  under  the  power  of  darkness,  is  in 
direct  opposition  to  the  declared  objects  of  the  holy 
wars  instituted  and  carried  on  against  the  powers  of 
darkness,  by  the  prince  of  light. 

St.  Paul  has  many  luminous  passages  on  the  subject 
of  universal  submission  to  the  power  of  Christ ;  one  of 
which  we  will  here  notice.  See  Phil,  ii,  9,  10,  11  : 
i  Wherefore  God  also  hath  highly  exalted  him,  and 
given  him  a  name  which  is  above  every  name ;  that  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  of  things  in 
heaven,  and  things  in  earth,  and  tilings  under  the 
earth  ;  and  that  every  tongue  should  confess  that  Je- 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  227 

sus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father.' 
Who  can  close  their  eyes  so  as  not  to  see  that  univer- 
sal submission  and  allegiance  to  the  kingdom  of  the 
exalted  Saviour,  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father,  is  the 
manifest  sense  of  this  passage  ?  Why  does  the  glory 
of  God  the  Father,  require  this  universal  submission  and 
allegiance  to  Christ  ?  See  the  answer  in  Psalm  ii,  8th 
verse :  '  Ask  of  me,  and  I  shall  give  thee  the  heathen 
for  thine  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the 
earth  for  thy  possession.'  When  a  king,  or  monarch, 
gives  provinces,  or  territories,  or  countries,  to  his  son 
for  his  inheritance,  the  honor  of  his  crown  guarantees 
the  allegiance  of  those  possessions  to  the  prince.  Ac- 
cordingly the  prophet  says,  Psalm  ex,  1,  2,  3:  '  The 
Lord  said  unto  my  Lord,  sit  thou  at  my  right  hand, 
until  I  make  thine  enemies  thy  footstool.  The  Lord 
shall  send  the  rod  of  thy  strength  out  of  Zion  :  rule 
thou  in  the  midst  of  thine  enemies.  Thy  people  shall 
be  willing  in  the  day  of  thy  power.'  Here  we  see  the 
father  enter  the  country  which  he  has  given  to  his  son, 
saying  to  him,  Sit  thou  at  my  right  hand,  as  a  token 
to  the  people  that  I  have  given  the  government  of 
these  territories  into  thy  hands.  I  have  given  this 
people  to  thee  for  an  inheritance  ;  they,  were  my  sub- 
jects, thou  art  my  lawful  heir,  and  this  is  the  inherit- 
ance which  I  have  given  thee.  And  it  is  the  rod  of 
thy  strength,  which  I  will  now  cause  to  come  forth 
from  the  covenant,  in  which  this  country  is  insured  to 
thee,  by  which  thou  shalt  rule  in  the  midst  of  these 
thy  present  enemies,  who  have  said,  we  will  not  have 
this  man  to  rule  over  us  ;  and  when  this  rod  of  thy 
strength,  which  is  all  power  in  heaven  and  in  earth,  is 
displayed  in  the  administration  of  thy  government, 
thy  people,  whom  I  have  given  thee,  shall  be  a  willing 


228  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

people.  How  divinely  glorious  must  it  be  to  God 
the  Father,  to  have  every  knee  bow  to  Christ,  and  ev- 
ery tongue  confess  him  to  be  Lord !  And  how  shame- 
fully dishonoring  it  is  for  the  spiritual  warriors  who 
have  enlisted  under  the  banner  of  the  Prince  of  Peace, 
and  have  received  bounty  for  their  encouragement,  to 
oppose  the  universal  extension  of  his  power,  and  the 
universal  submission  of  his  possessions  to  his  govern- 
ment !  See  the  beautiful  account  which  is  given  of 
this  Captain  of  our  salvation  in  Isaiah  xlii,  1 — 8  :  '  Be- 
hold my  servant,  whom  I  uphold  ;  mine  elect  in  whom 
my  soul  delighteth :  I  have  put  my  spirit  upon  him ; 
he  shall  bring  forth  judgment  to  the  Gentiles.  He 
shall  not  cry,  nor  lift  up,  nor  cause  his  voice  to  be 
heard  in  the  street.  A  bruised  reed  shall  he  not  break, 
and  the  smoking  flax  shall  he  not  quench ;  he  shall 
bring  forth  judgment  unto  truth.  He  shall  not  fail, 
nor  be  discouraged,  till  he  have  set  judgment  in  the 
earth  ;  and  the  isles  shall  wait  for  his  law.  Thus 
saith  God  the  Lord,  he  that  created  the  heavens  and 
stretched  them  out ;  he  that  spread  forth  the  earth, 
and  that  which  cometh  out  of  it ;  he  that  giveth  breath 
unto  the  people  upon  it,  and  spirit  to  them  that  walk 
therein  ;  I  the  Lord  have  called  thee  in  righteousness, 
and  will  hold  thine  hand,  and  will  keep  thee,  and 
give  thee  for  a  covenant  of  the  people,  for  a  light  of 
the  Gentiles ;  to  open  the  blind  eyes,  to  bring  out  the 
prisoners,  and  them  that  sit  in  darkness  out  of  the 
prison  house.  I  am  the  Lord  ;  that  is  my  name  :  and 
my  glory  will  I  not  give  to  another,  neither  my  praise 
to  graven  images.'  In  this  spiritual  warfare  the  apos- 
tles of  the  Lamb  were  engaged,  whose  weapons  were 
not  carnal,  but  mighty  through  God  to  the  pulling 
down  of  strong  holds  ;  casting  down  imaginations,  and 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  229 

every  high  thing  that  exalteth  itself  against  the  know- 
ledge of  God,  and  bringing  into  captivity  every  thought 
to  the  obedience  of  Christ.  As  they  were  assured 
that  the  Captain  of  their  salvation  would  never  be  dis- 
couraged, so  they  did  not  faint,  nor  grow  weak  in  their 
minds,  but  fought  a  good  fight,  kept  the  faith,  finish- 
ed their  course,  and  received  their  crowns. 


PARABLES  XXXIII,  XXXIV,  XXXV. 

*  And  he  spake  this  parable  unto  them,  saying,  What  man  of  you  havnag 
an  hundred  sheep,  if  ye  lose  one  of  them,  doth  not  leave  the  ninety  and  nine 
in  the  wilderness,  and  go  after  that  which  is  lost,  until  he  find  it  1  and, 
when  he  hath  found  it,  he  layeth  it  on  his  shoulders  rejoicing.  And,  when 
he  cometh  home,  he  calleth  together  his  friends  and  neighbors,  saying  unto 
them,  Rejoice  widi  me  ;  for  I  have  found  my  sheep  which  was  lost.  I  say 
unto  you,  that  likewise  joy  shall  be  in  heaven  over  one  sinner  that  repenteth 
more  than  over  ninety  and  nine  just  persons  which  need  no  repentance.' — 
Luke  xv,  3 — 7. 

This  chapter  contains  three  parables  ;  and  though 
they  were  spoken  on  the  same  occasion,  and  to  the 
same  effect,  they  contain  a  great  variety  of  beautiful 
and  instructive  similitudes.  The  reader  will  easily 
discover  the  occasion  of  Christ's  speaking  those  para- 
bles to  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  by  observing  the  first 
and  second  verses  of  this  chapter,  which  read  thus  : 
'  Then  drew  near  unto  him  all  the  publicans  and  sin- 
ners for  to  hear  him.  And  the  Pharisees  and  scribes 
murmured,  saying,  This  man  receiveth  sinners,  and 
eateth  with  them.'  Here  we  have  the  objection  which 
the  Pharisees  stated  against  Christ,  which  was,  that  he 
20 


230  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

received  sinners.  And  as  an  answer  to  this  objection, 
the  three  parables  which  we  find  in  this  chapter  were 
spoken  ;  and  they  contain  so  rational  a  vindication  of 
the  propriety  of  the  thing  for  which  he  was  accused, 
that  I  entertain  no  doubt  but  that  those  Pharisees 
and  scribes  felt  the  force  of  his  arguments,  and  were 
ashamed  of  their  own  weakness,  and  the  impropriety 
of  their  allegation.  And  I  greatly  wonder,  that  Phari- 
sees of  the  present  day,  who  fancy  themselves  right- 
eous and  others  wicked,  are  so  lost,  as  not  to  feel  re- 
proved when  they  read  those  words  of  Christ. 

In  order  to  give  the  ideas  contained  in  the  first  par- 
able, I  observe, 

1.  Christ  takes  his  adversaries  on  their  own  ground, 
admitting  in  the  argument,  that  the  idea  which  they  en- 
tertained of  their  own  goodness,  and  the  opinion  they 
had  of  the  wickedness  of  those  whom  they  called  sin- 
ners, were  just,  and  well  founded  :  in  which  method, 
as  we  have  before  noted,  he  replied  to  Simon  the  Phar- 
isee on  a  like  occasion.  I  understand,  therefore,  that 
the  ninety  and  nine  sheep  which  went  not  astray,  rep- 
resented the  Pharisees  and  scribes  ;  and  the  one  that 
did,  signified  the  publicans  and  sinners. 

2.  The  impropriety  of  their  objection  may  be  shown 
by  stating  the  following  question  :  If  you  have  so  much 
care  of  your  property  in  carnal  substance,  as  to  go  in 
search  of  one  sheep  that  goes  astray  out  of  an  hundred, 
why  do  you  condemn  me  for  seeking  the  recovery  of 
so  many  of  mine  whom  you  acknowledge  have  gone 
astray  ?  The  reader  will  also  see  the  propriety  of  ad- 
ding to  the  weight  of  the  question  the  consideration, 
that  the  property,  which  Christ  holds  in  sinners,  stands, 
in  the  parable,  as  things  eternal,  to  the  fading  things  of 
time. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  23l 

3.  The  faithfulness  of  the  Saviour  of  sinners,  in 
seeking  and  saving  that  which  was  lost,  is  shown  by 
the  shepherd  going  after  the  sheep  '  until  he  finds  it.' 
It  may  be  well  to  note,  that  there  is  no  representation 
of  the  shepherd  calling  the  sheep,  and  leaving  it  to  its 
own  will  whether  it  would  return  to  the  fold,  or  not ; 
nor  of  his  seeking  till  he  was  weary,  without  success  ; 
but,  he  goeth  after  it  until  he  find  it.  O,  my  soul,  had 
thy  shepherd  been  less  faithful,  thy  wanderings  had 
never  been  reclaimed. 

4.  What  the  Saviour  does  for  sinners,  is  farther 
shown,  in  that  the  shepherd  does  neither  lead,  nor 
drive  his  sheep,  but  taketh  and  layeth  it  on  his  shoul- 
ders rejoicing ;  not  trusting  the  emaciated  wanderer  to 
its  own  strength.  The  reader  will  remember,  that  the 
government  is  upon  the  shoulders  of  Christ,  and  that 
his  name  is  called  Wonderful. 

5.  What  is  meant  by  friend  and  neighbors  being 
called  together  to  rejoice  because  the  lost  was  found, 
is  shown  in  the  application  which  Christ  himself  made ; 
see  verse  7 :  '  I  say  unto  you,  that  likewise  joy  shall 
be  in  heaven  over  one  sinner  that  repenteth,  more  than 
over  ninety  and  nine  just  persons  which  need  no  re- 
pentance.' On  this  application,  I  make  the  following 
remarks  : 

1.  It  is  evident  that  there  is  joy  in  heaven  in  conse- 
quence of  the  salvation  of  sinners ;  wmich  gives  us 
the  favorable  opinion  that  charity  is  an  inhabitant  of 
heaven,  as  well  as  of  earth  ;  and  that  when  souls  get 
there  through  the  blood  of  the  cross,  they  draw  divine 
consolations  when  they  know  the  work  of  the  Redeem- 
er is  going  on  below,  in  the  recovery  of  those  who  are 
yet  in  sin. 

2.  If  the  salvation  of  one  sinner  causes  joy  in 
heaven,  the  recovery  of  the  thousands  who  crowded 


232  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

to  hear  the  gracious  words  which  proceeded  from  the 
lips  of  him  who  spoke,  as  never  man  spoke,  could  by 
no  means  have  a  contrary  effect,  but  would  be  of  still 
greater  consequence  to  the  joys  of  the  happy. 

3.  I  infer,  if  the  salvation  of  one  sinner  causes  joy 
in  heaven,  and  if  the  salvation  of  many  increase  that 
joy  in  proportion  to  the  number  saved,  the  entire  loss 
of  one,  must,  of  necessity,  cause  as  much  sorrow,  as 
the  salvation  of  one,  does  joy  ;  and  the  loss  of  many 
would  increase  that  sorrow  in  a  ratio  of  the  number. 

4.  As  Christ  gave  the  joys  of  heaven  as  a  sufficient 
reason  for  his  having  mercy  on  sinners,  I  am  happy 
in  believing  that  he  possesses  as  strong  a  desire  to  save 
sinners,  as  he  does  to  increase  the  joys  of  the  blessed ; 
and  that  until  he  is  careless  of  the  latter,  he  will  not 
be  of  the  former. 

Some  of  the  reasons  why  those  in  heaven  should  re- 
joice at  the  return  of  the  wandering  sinner,  are, 

1.  As  their  whole  souls  are  swallowed  up  in  the  love 
of  God,  they  rejoice  that  others  are  brought  to  love  so 
divine  an  object. 

2.  As  they  love  to  sing  the  praises  of  the  crucified, 
they  rejoice  to  have  others  engaged  in  the  heavenly 
devotion,  justly  due  to  him  who  led  captivity  cap- 
tive. 

3.  In  the  same  proportion  as  they  love  God  and  the 
Redeemer,  they  hate  and  abhor  every  principle  of  wick- 
edness in  sinful  man,  and  therefore  rejoice  at  the  de- 
struction of  sin. 

4.  As  the  noblest  principle  possessed  by  the  glori- 
fied, is  charity,  they  rejoice  in  the  salvation  of  others, 
as  they  do  in  their  own  felicity . 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  233 

t  Either  what  woman  having  ten  pieces  of  silver,  if  she  lose  one  piece, 
doth  not  light  a  candle  and  sweep  the  house,  and  seek  diligently  till  she  find 
it?  and  when  she  hath  found  it,  she  calleth  her  friends  and  her  neighbors 
together,  saying,  Rejoice  with  me  ;  for  I  have  found  the  piece  which  I  had 
lost.'— Luke  xv.  S,  9. 

In  this  second  parable,  we  find  similar  ideas  to  those 
in  the  former. 

1.  The  Pharisees  and  scribes  are  represented  by 
nine  pieces  of  silver  which  were  not  lost ;  and  the  pub- 
licans and  sinners  by  one  that  was. 

2.  The  intent  of  this  parable  is  discovered  by  stating 
a  question,  as  in  notes  on  the  former  parable,  thus :  If 
a  woman  could  be  justified  for  lighting  a  candle,  sweep- 
ing her  house,  and  seeking  diligently  for  one  piece  of 
silver,  which  was  lost  out  of  ten,  until  she  found  it ; 
would  it  not  be  justifiable  for  Christ  to  come,  a  light 
into  the  world,  to  seek  and  to  save  the  vast  multitudes 
who  were  lost  in  sin  and  death  ? 

3.  The  property  which  Christ  holds  in  the  lost  sin- 
ner, I  learn  thus  :  that  piece  of  money  which  was  lost, 
belonged  to  the  woman  who  lost  it ;  and  it  was  no  less 
her  property  when  it  was  lost,  than  before.  Again,  it 
was  as  real  silver  even  in  its  lost  state,  as  when  it  was 
with  the  other  nine  ;  and  its  continuing  to  retain  its 
real  value,  was  all  that  rendered  it  an  object  of  re- 
covery. 

The  faithfulness  of  the  Saviour  in  the  recovery  of 
the  sinner  is  signified  by  the  woman  seeking  until  she 
found  the  piece  that  was  lost ;  the  same  as  the  shep- 
herd going  after  the  sheep  until  he  found  it. 

5.  What  is  meant  by  calling  friends  and  neighbors 
together,  to  rejoice  that  the  lost  was  found,  is  signi- 
fied in  the  application,  as  in  the  former  parable. 


20* 


234  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

'  And  he  said,  A  certain  man  had  two  sons :  and  the  younger  of  them  said 
to  his  father,  Father,  give  me  the  portion  of  goods  that  falleth  to  me.  And 
he  divided  unto  them  his  living.  And,  not  many  days  after,  the  younger  son 
gathered  all  together,  and  took  his  journey  into  a  far  country,  and  there 
wasted  his  substance  in  riotous  living.  And,  when  he  had  spent  all,  there  arose 
a  mighty  famine  in  that  land  ;  and  he  began  to  be  in  want.  And  he  went 
and  joined  himself  to  a  citizen  of  that  country ;  and  he  sent  him  into  his  fields 
to  feed  swine.  And  he  would  fain  have  filled  his  belly  with  the  husks  that 
the  swine  did  eat:  and  no  man  gave  unto  him.  And  when  he  came  to  him- 
self, he  said,  How  many  hired  servants  of  my  father's  have  bread  enough  and 
to  spare,  and  I  perish  with  hunger!  I  will  arise,  aod  go  to  my  father,  and 
will  say  unto  him,  Father,  I  have  sinned  against  heaven,  and  before  thee, 
and  am  no  more  worthy  to  be  called  thy  son :  make  me  as  one  of  thy  hired 
servants.  And  he  arose  and  came  to  his  father.  But,  when  he  was  vet  a 
great  way  oft,  his  father  saw  him,  and  had  compassion,  and  ran,  and  fell  on 
his  neck  and  kissed  him.  And  the  son  said  unto  him,  Father,  I  have  sin- 
ned against  heaven,  and  in  thy  sight,  and  am  no  more  worthy  to  be  called 
thy  son.  But  the  father  said  to  his  servants,  Bring  forth  the  best  robe  and 
put  it  on  him,  and  put  a  ring  on  his  hand,  and  shoes  on  his  feet.  And  bring 
hither  the  fatted  calf,  and  kill  it;  and  let  us  eat  and  be  merry.  For  this 
my  son  was  dead,  and  is  alive  again;  he  was  lost,  and  is  found.  And  they 
began  to  be  merry.  Now  his  elder  son  was  in  the  field;  and  as  he  came, 
and  drew  nigh  to  the  house,  he  heard  music  and  dancing.  And  he  called 
one  of  the  servants,  and  asked  what  these  things  meant.  And  he  said  unto 
him,  Thy  brother  is  come;  and  thy  father  hath  killed  the  fatted  calf,  because 
he  hath  received  him  safe  and  sound.  And  he  was  angry,  and  would  not  go 
in:  therefore  came  his  father  out,  and  entreated  him.  And  he  answering, 
said  to  his  father,  Lo,  these  many  years  do  I  serve  thee  ;  neither  transgress- 
ed I  at  any  time  thy  commandment,  and  yet  thou  never  gavest  me  a  kid,  that 
I  might  make  merry  with  my  friends:  but  as  soon  as  this  thy  son  was  come, 
which  hath  devoured  thy  living  with  harlots,  thou  hast  killed  for  him  the  fat- 
ted calf.  And  he  said  unto  him,  Son,  thou  art  ever  with  me,  and  all  that  I 
have  is  thine.  It  was  meet  that  we  should  make  merry,  and  be  glad  :  for 
this  thy  brother  was  dead,  and  is  alive  again;  aud  was  lost  and  is  found.' — 
Luke  xv.  11—32. 

This  third  parable  affords  the  following  notes  : 

1 .  The  Pharisees  and  scribes  are  signified  by  the  el- 
der son. 

2.  The  publicans  and  sinners,  by  the  younger. 

3.  The  righteousness  of  which  those  Pharisees  boast- 
ed, is  represented  by  the  alleged  industry  and  faithful- 
ness of  the  elder  son. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  235 

4.  The  sinfulness  which  those  Pharisees  could 
see  in  those  whom  they  called  sinners  above  them- 
selves, is  represented  by  the  prodigality  of  the  younger 
son. 

5.  The  meanness  and  unholiness  of  the  service  of 
sin,  is  signified  by  the  prodigal's  feeding  sivine :  an 
animal,  by  the  law  of  Moses  pronounced  unclean. 

6.  The  endeavors  of  the  wicked  to  satisfy  the  hun- 
ger of  the  immortal  soul  with  fruits  of  the  flesh  or 
carnal  mind,  is  shown  by  the  prodigal  wishing  to  fill 
his  belly  with  the  husks  which  the  swine  ate. 

7.  That  sin  is  a  land  of  famine,  in  which  the  soul 
can  never  enjoy  the  bread  of  life,  is  signified  by  the 
famine  which  arose  in  the  country  where  the  prodigal 
had  wandered,  by  which  he  was  reduced  to  want,  and 
came  to  himself. 

8.  The  riches  of  the  Father  of  mercies,  is  signified  by 
the  father  having  many  hired  servants,  who  all  had 
bread  enough,  and  to  spare. 

9.  The  effect  produced  by  the  famine  which  the  soul 
experiences  in  sin  and  wickedness,  is  denoted  by  the 
prodigal  coming  to  a  determination  to  go  home  to  his 
father,  to  which  determination  he  was  compelled  by 
the  gnawings  of  hunger. 

10.  The  unworthiness  felt  by  a  repenting  sinner, 
who  is  conscious  to  himself  of  having  sinned  against 
heaven,  and  in  the  sight  of  God ;  and  awfully  feels 
the  loss  of  sonship,  and  a  willingness  to  become  a  door- 
keeper in  the  house  of  God,  if  so  be  he  might  obtain 
the  favors  enjoyed  by  servants,  who  eat  bread  in  their 
master's  house,  is  intended  by  the  confession  and  re- 
quest made  by  the  prodigal  to  his  father. 

11.  The  fatherly  kindness  and  loving  mercy  of  God 
towards  sinners,  is  shown  by  the  father  running  to 


236  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

meet  his  son  while  yet  a  great  way  off,  falling  on  his 
neck,  fondly  embracing  and  compassionately  kissing 
his  long  lost  child. 

12.  The  abundant  favors,  privileges  and  mercies 
conferred  by  divine  grace,  on  a  reclaimed  profligate, 
beyond  all  the  requests  made  by  the  subject,  is  inten- 
ded by  the  best  robe,  a  ring,  shoes,  the  preparation  of 
a  fatted  calf,  and  the  ordination  of  merriment  and  fes- 
tivity :  all  which  were  favors  more  than  were  asked 
for.  Instead  of  being  reproved  for  spending  what  he 
had  already  received,  he  was  bid  welcome  to  more ; 
in  room  of  being  admitted  to  labor  for  bread,  in  the 
character  of  a  servant,  he  is  introduced  into  his  father's 
house  as  a  favorite  child,  with  a  ring  on  his  hand,  a 
token  of  the  father's  love,  and  an  indication  that  he  la- 
bored  not.  The  best  robe,  represents  the  righteous- 
ness of  Christ ;  and  shoes,  being  '  shod  with  the  prepa- 
ration of  the  gospel  of  peace.' 

13.  The  Pharisees  laboring  in  the  law,  or  legal  right- 
eousness, are  meant  by  the  elder  son  being  in  the  field; 
and  their  then  present  murmurs  at  Christ  for  receiv- 
ing sinners,  and  their  rejecting  Christ  therefore,  is 
meant  by  the  elder  son  being  angry,  and  refusing  to 
go  into  his  father's  house  because  the  father  had  re- 
ceived the  prodigal  so  kindly,  with  such  marks  of  af- 
fection and  tokens  of  honor.  Had  Christ  come  with 
a  gospel  to  save  the  righteous  and  condemn  the  wick- 
ed, so  long  as  the  Pharisees  could  have  retained  their 
then  present  opinion  of  themselves  and  others,  they 
might  have  gratified  their  spiritual  pride  in  hailing  him 
welcome,  and  zealously  professing  to  be  his  disciples. 
But  as  he  came  not  to  call  the  righteous,  but  sinners 
to  repentance,  those  who  were  whole,  in  their  own 
opinion,  saw  not  their  need  of  a  physician,  and,  there- 
fore, rejected  him. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  237 

14.  The  exceeding  joys  possessed  by  the  gospel 
convert  above  all  those  enjoyed  under  the  covenant  of 
works,  stands,  in  the  representation,  as  the  partaking 
of  a  fatted  calf,  with  joys  and  festivity,  in  a  father's 
house,  to  many  days  of  hard  labor,  without  so  much  as 
a  kid,  to  make  merry  with  friends.  O,  the  barrenness 
of  self-righteousness !  like  a  fig-tree  on  which  much 
labor  is  bestowed,  but  which  withers  without  fruit. 

15.  That  the  blessings  of  everlasting  life  in  the  new 
covenant,  did,  in  reality,  belong  to  those  murmuring 
Pharisees,  as  well  as  to  those  whom  they  called  sin- 
ners, is  shown  by  the  father  saying  to  the  elder  son, 
'  Son  thou  art  ever  with  me,  and  all  that  I  have  is 
thine.' 

And  lastly,  The  propriety  of  rejoicing  on  the  return 
and  acceptance  of  the  sinner,  is  shown  by  the  words 
of  the  text :  £  It  was  meet  that  we  should  make  merry 
and  be  glad,  for  this  thy  brother  was  dead,  and  is  alive 
again  ;  and  was  lost,  and  is  found.' 

But  observe,  dear  reader,  had  those  murmuring 
Pharisees  and  scribes  been  sensible  of  the  abomina- 
tion of  their  own  wicked  hearts,  and  the  sinfulness  of 
their  real  characters,  they  would  have  considered 
themselves  as  wicked  as  they  viewed  others,  and  felt 
themselves  as  lost  sheep  that  stood  in  need  of  the  care 
of  the  shepherd ;  like  a  piece  of  silver  in  a  lost  condi- 
tion, never  to  be  recovered  but  by  the  diligence  of 
the  owner ;  or  like  a  prodigal  son,  who  had  idly  spent 
his  time,  and  his  property  wickedly ;  and  they  would 
willingly  have  confessed  their  unworthiness  to  be  ad- 
mitted as  sons  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 


238  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 


ILLUSTRATION. 

As  the  three  parables  in  Matthew  xxv,  had  their 
general  application  to  the  same  subject,  so  these  three 
parables  in  Luke  xv,  were  evidently  spoken,  by  Christ, 
to  illustrate  the  one  subject  to  which  the  notes  apply 
them.  For  this  reason  they  may  be  justly  connected 
in  this  illustration. 

As  it  is  humbly  conceived  that  the  notes  give  the 
particulars  of  these  parables,  in  a  manner  too  plain  not 
to  be  understood,  the  following  illustration  will  consist 
of  arguments  founded  on  the  following  truths  exhibit- 
ed in  these  parables  : 

1.  Mankind,  though  in  a  state  of  alienation  from 
God,  in  a  state  of  sin  and  rebellion,  are  represented 
as  the  property  of  God,  and  by  him  so  highly  estimat- 
ed as  to  induce  him  to  recover  us  from  alienation  and 
sin. 

2.  In  all  the  above  condition,  God  acknowledges 
man  to  be  his  offspring,  and  exercises  over  him  a  fa- 
therly providence,  and  towards  him  all  the  fatherly  af- 
fections and  mercies.     And, 

3.  The  true  spirit  of  heavenly  charity  rejoices  with 
an  increased  delight  and  satisfaction  in  the  bringing  of 
sinners  to  repentance. 

The  first  of  these  general  propositions  is  fully  sup- 
ported by  the  most  natural  sense  of  the  two  first  para- 
bles. The  lost,  or  strayed  sheep,  was  the  property  of 
him  who  owned  the  ninety  and  nine  which  went  not 
astray.  This  sheep,  by  going  from  the  fold,  did  neith- 
er alienate  the  property  of  itself  from  the  owner,  nor 
change  its  nature  to  any  other  species  of  animal ;  for 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  239 

had  either  of  these  events  been  the  consequence  of 
the  sheep  going  astray,  it  might  render  it  improper  for 
him  who  had  been  the  owner  to  go  after  it.  If  the 
sheep  when  astray  were  not  the  property  of  him  to 
whom  it  belonged  before  it  went  astray,  why  should 
he  seek  it?  If  he  found  it,  he  could  not  say,  as  in 
the  parable,  '  I  have  found  my  sheep  which  was  lost.' 
Or  if  the  sheep  had  changed  its  species,  it  might  have 
become  an  animal  of  no  value  to  the  former  owner. 
It  is  true  that  the  sheep,  by  straying  from  the  fold  to 
which  it  belonged,  might,  by  degrees,  lose  its  familiar 
acquaintance  with  the  shepherd,  and  contract  habits 
of  wildness  by  which  it  might  endeavor  to  elude  the 
shepherd,  whose  voice  now  becomes  its  terror.  This 
was,  in  some  sort,  the  case  with  man  :  see  Gen.  iii,  9, 
10 :  '  And  the  Lord  God  called  unto  Adam,  and  said 
unto  him,  Where  art  thou  ?  And  he  said,  I  heard  thy 
voice  in  the  garden,  and  I  was  afraid  because  I  was 
naked  ;  and  I  hid  myself.'  This  fear  was  not  the  off- 
spring of  correct  ideas,  but  of  that  deception  which  sin 
had  wrought  in  his  mind. 

In  a  similar  manner  we  may  reason  on  the  subject 
of  the  piece  of  silver.  When  it  was  lost  it  was  still 
silver,  and  it  was  the  property  of  her  who  owned  the 
other  nine.  It  is  true,  this  piece  of  silver  may  be  con- 
sidered as  having  been  in  such  a  condition  that  it 
might  lose  its  brightness,  contract  filth,  and  to  the  eye 
of  a  superficial  observer,  be  taken  for  something  far  less 
valuable  than  silver ;  though  it  might  not  be  difficult 
for  a  more  close  inspector,  or  a  chemist,  to  determine 
its  properties  and  value. 

The  following  are  a  few  of  the  many  scriptures 
which  corroborate  the  foregoing  statement :  Jer.  i,  6  : 
1  My  people  hath  been  lost  sheep;  their  shepherds 
have  caused  them  to  go  astray,  they  have  turned  them 


240  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

away  on  the  mountains ;  they  have  gone  from  moun- 
tain to  hill,  they  have  forgotten  their  resting  place.' 
ii,  13  ;  '  For  my  people  have  committed  two  evils  : 
they  have  forsaken  me,  the  fountain  of  living  waters, 
and  hewed  them  out  cisterns,  broken  cisterns,  that 
can  hold  no  water.  Verse  32 :  '  Can  a  maid  forget 
her  ornaments,  or  a  bride  her  attire  ?  Yet  my  people 
have  forgotten  me,  days  without  number.'  Chap,  iv, 
22  :  '  For  my  people  is  foolish,  they  have  not  known 
me;  they  are  sottish  children,  and  they  have  none  un- 
derstanding ;  they  are  wise  to  do  evil,  but  to  do  good 
they  have  no  knowledge.'  Chap,  viii,  7  :  '  Yea  the 
stork  in  the  heaven  knoweth  her  appointed  times  ;  and 
the  turtle,  and  the  crane,  and  the  swallow,  observe  the 
time  of  their  coming ;  but  my  people  know  not  the 
judgment  of  the  Lord.'  Isaiah  xix,  24,  25:  '  In  that 
day  shall  Israel  be  the  third  with  Egypt  and  with  As- 
syria, even  a  blessing  in  the  midst  of  the  land ;  whom 
the  Lord  of  hosts  shall  bless,  saying,  Blessed  be  Egypt 
my  people  and  Assyria  the  work  of  my  hands,  and 
Israel  mine  inheritance.^  The  foregoing  quotations 
are  sufficient  to  show  that  God  owns  the  wicked,  the 
alienated  wandering  sons  of  men,  to  be  his  people. 
The  following  show  that  our  Lord  or  owner  values  us 
so  highly,  that  he  has  manifested  his  determination  to 
reclaim  us  from  sin.  Matt,  xvhi,  11:'  For  the  son  of 
man  is  come  to  save  that  which  was  lost.'  Luke  xix, 
10 :  '  For  the  Son  of  man  is  come  to  seek  and  to 
save  that  which  was  lost.'  St.  John  iii,  17 :  '  For 
God  sent  not  his  Son  into  the  world  to  condemn  the 
world  ;  but  that  the  world  through  him  might  be  saved.' 
Chap,  x,  11 :  '  I  am  the  good  shepherd:  the  good  shep- 
herd giveth  his  life  for  the  sheep.'  Verse  16:  'And 
other  sheep  I  have,  which  are  not  of  this  fold ;  them 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  241 

also  I  must  bring,  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice ; 
and  there  shall  be  one  fold  and  one  shepherd.'  Matt, 
i,  21 :  '  And  she  shall  bring  forth  a  son,  and  thou 
shalt  call  his  name  Jesus ;  for  he  shall  save  his  peo- 
ple from  their  sins.'  Here  it  is  necessary  to  show 
that  the  divine  purpose  in  saving  mankind  from  sin, 
is  manifested  as  an  effect  proceeding  from  the  love 
of  God  towards  sinful  man.  St.  John  iii,  16 : 
{  For  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  on- 
ly begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him 
should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life.'  Rom. 
iii,  S :  '  But  God  commandeth  his  love  towards  us,  in 
that,  while  we  were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us.' 
1  John  iv,  9,  10  :  '  In  this  was  manifested  the  love  of 
God  towards  us,  because  that  God  sent  his  only  be- 
gotten Son  into  the  world,  that  we  might  live  through 
him.  Herein  is  love,  not  that  we  loved  God,  but  that 
he  loved  us,  and  sent  his  Son  to  be  the  propitiation 
for  our  sins.'  Eph.  ii,  4,  5 :  '  But  God,  who  is  rich  in 
mercy,  for  his  great  love  wherewith  he  loved  us,  even 
when  we  were  dead  in  sins,  hath  quickened  us  togetrv- 
er  with  Christ ;  (by  grace  are  ye  saved.')  Rev.  i,  5  : 
£  Unto  him  that  loved  us,  and  washed  us  from  our 
sins  in  his  own  blood.'  As  it  is  conceived  that  am- 
ple proof  has  been  adduced  to  support  our  first  gene- 
ral proposition,  viz.  Mankind,  though  in  a  state  of 
alienation  from  God,  in  a  state  of  sin  and  rebellion,  is 
represented  as  the  property  of  God,  and  by  him  so 
highly  estimated,  as  to  induce  him  to  recover  us  from 
alienation  and  sin,  we  may  proceed  as  proposed,  to 
consider, 

2.  That  in  all  the  above  condition,  God  acknow- 
ledges man  to  be  his  offspring,  and  exercises  over  him 
a  fatherly  providence,  and   towards  him  all  the  father- 
21 


242  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

fatherly  affections  and  mercies.  This  proposition  is 
well  supported  by  the  last  of  these  parables.  The  son 
who  left  his  father's  house,  and  went  into  a  far  country, 
was  no  less  a  son  than  he  who  stayed  at  home ;  and 
though  he  spent  his  substance  in  an  unjustifiable  prod- 
igality, yet  he  was  still  a  son  ;  notwithstanding  he  was 
reduced  to  penury  and  want,  yet  he  was  a  son ;  al- 
though he  perished  with  hunger,  while  hired  servants, 
in  his  father's  house,  had  bread  enough  and  to  spare, 
yet  he  was  not  the  less  for  this  a  son;  though  he  had 
sinned  against  heaven,  and  in  the  sight  of  his  father, 
and  judging  him,  by  his  conduct,  was  no  more  worthy 
to  be  called  his  son,  yet  the  father  says,  '  This  my 
son  was  dead  and  is  alive  again ;  he  was  lost  and  is 
found.' 

The  fatherly  providence,  exercised  over  the  prodi- 
gal son,  is  seen  in  the  indulgence,  in  the  first  instance, 
which  he  obtained  in  being  permitted  to  go  from 
home  ;  and  afterwards  being  subjected  to  an  imperious 
necessity  of  returning  to  his  father,  in  a  most  penitent 
manner.  The  famine  which  arose  in  the  land  where 
the  prodigal  was,  must  be  attributed  to  that  providence 
whose  eye  was  ever  watchful  for  the  good  of  this  wan- 
derer, whose  return  to  his  father  depended  on  his 
wants  not  otherwise  to  be  satisfied. 

Such  was  the  manner  in  which  a  divine  providence 
brought  about  and  completely  fulfilled  the  visions  of 
Joseph  which  portended  the  humble  state  into  which 
his  brethren  should  be  brought,  before  him  their  pro- 
tector. Neither  Joseph  nor  his  brethren  were  the 
cause  of  the  famine  which  induced  those  sons  of  Jacob 
to  go  down  to  Egypt ;  but  it  was  sent  by  that  divine 
providence  which  embraced,  as  an  object,  from  which 
it  could  not  be  diverted,  the  humility  of  Joseph's 
brethren. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  243 

It  was  this  famine  which  caused  Judah  to  say  unto 
his  father,  '  Send  the  lad  with  me,  and  we  will  arise 
and  go ;  that  we  may  live  and  not  die,  both  we,  and 
thou,  and  also  our  little  ones.'  It  was  this  famine 
which  reduced  Jacob  to  consent  that  his  beloved  Ben- 
jamin should  go  from  him,  saying,  f  If  I  be  bereaved 
of  my  children,  I  am  bereaved.' 

The  fatherly  affections  and  mercies,  exercised  to- 
wards the  offspring  of  God,  are  represented  by  the  re- 
ception with  which  the  returning  prodigal  was  blessed 
of  his  father. 

In  room  of  being  indifferent  concerning  the  return 
of  his  son,  the  father's  eye,  ever  watchful,  spies  him, 
while  yet  a  great  way  off.  Then  did  melting  com- 
passion move  the  father,  and  he  ran,  and  fell  on  his 
neck,  and  kissed  him.  Now,  as  tokens  of  the  father's 
love,  are  brought  the  best  robe,  a  ring  and  shoes  ;  and 
the  destitute  child  is  clothed  in  the  most  decent  man- 
ner ;  the  fatted  calf  is  killed  by  the  father's  order,  and 
every  expression  of  joy,  suitable  to  the  occasion,  wel- 
comes the  long  lost  son  to  the  mansions  of  plenty  and 
peace. 

That  the  Scriptures  abundantly  support  the  idea 
that  God  acknowledges  sinners  to  be  his  children, 
the  following  passages  fully  show :  Isaiah  i,  2,  3,  4 : 
i  Hear,  O  heavens,  and  give  ear,  O  earth ;  for  the 
Lord  hath  spoken ;  I  have  nourished  and  brought  up 
children,  and  they  have  rebelled  against  me.  The  ox 
knoweth  his  owner,  and  the  ass  his  master's  crib  ;  but 
Israel  doth  not  know,  my  people  doth  not  consider. 
Ah,  sinful  nation,  a  people  laden  with  iniquity,  a  seed 
of  evil  doers,  children  that  are  corrupters  !  they  have 
forsaken  the  Lord,  they  have  provoked  the  holy  One 


244  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

of  Israel  unto  anger,  they  are  gone  away  backward.' 
Deut.  xxxii,  6 :  'Do  ye  thus  requite  the  Lord  ?  O 
foolish  people  and  unwise  !  is  not  he  thy  Father  that 
hath  bought  thee  ? '  Mai.  i,  6 :  'A  son  honoreth  his 
father,  and  a  servant  his  master :  if  then  I  be  a  father 
where  is  mine  honor  ?  and  if  I  be  a  master,  where  is 
my  fear '?  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts  unto  you;  O  priests, 
that  despise  my  name.'  Chap,  ii,  10 :  '  Have  we  not 
all  one  father  ?  hath  not  one  God  created  us  ?  Why 
do  we  deal  treacherously,  every  man  against  his  bro- 
ther, by  profaning  the  covenant  of  our  fathers  ? ' 
Eph.  iv,  6  :  '  One  God  and  Father  of  all,  who  is 
above  all,  and  through  all,  and  in  you  all'  Matt, 
vi,  9 :  '  After  this  manner,  therefore,  pray  ye :  Our 
Father  which  art  in  heaven  ;  hallowed  be  thy  name.' 
Verse  12,  *  And  forgive  us  our  debts,  as  we  forgive 
our  debtors.'  Heb.  ii,  11 — 15:  'For  both  he  that 
sanctifieth  and  they  who  are  sanctified  are  all  of  one ; 
for  which  cause  he  is  not  ashamed  to  call  them 
brethren ;  saying,  I  will  declare  thy  name  unto  my 
brethren  ;  in  the  midst  of  the  church  will  I  sing  prais- 
es unto  thee.  And  again,  I  will  put  my  trust  in  him. 
And  again,  Behold  I  and  the  children  which  God 
hath  given  me.  Forasmuch  then  as  the  children  are 
partakers  of  flesh  and  blood,  he  also  himself  likewise 
took  part  of  the  same ;  that  through  death,  he  might 
destroy  him  that  had  the  power  of  death,  that  is  the 
devil ;  and  deliver  them  who  through  fear  of  death, 
were  all  their  lifetime  subject  to  bondage.' 

No  comments  are  necessary  to  make  it  evident  that 
the  most  natural  sense  of  such  scriptures,  as  are  here 
quoted,  goes  to  prove  the  proposition  under  considera- 
tion. This  being  conceded,  notice  will  be  taken  of 
our  third  proposition,  which  is,  that  the  true  spirit  of 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 


245 


christian  charity  rejoices  at  the  bringing  of  sinners  to 
repentance. 

This  idea  is  not  only  supported  by  the  application 
of  the  three  parables  here  illustrated,  but  is  in  reality 
the  soul  of  the  gospel  system.     To  bring  skiners  to  re- 
pentance, was  the  manifest  object  of  God  sending  his 
Son  into  our  world ;  he  was  exalted  to  be  a  Prince 
and  a  Saviour,  to  give  repentance  and  remissions  of 
sins;  the  ministry  of  the  gospel  is  directed  to  this 
end,  viz.  that  repentance  and  remission  of  sins  should 
be  preached  among  all  nations,  beginning  at  Jerusa- 
lem.    This  system  of  gospel  salvation,  is  a  system  of 
divine  benevolence,  which  is  the  spirit  of  heaven-born 
charity.     Jesus  says,  Luke  v,  32 :  'I  came  not  to  call 
the  righteous,  but  sinners  to  repentance.'     This  is  the 
declared  object  of  our  blessed   Saviour.     For  the  suc- 
cess of  this  work,  there  is  joy  in  heaven  ;  the  angels 
of  God  see,  with  infinite  delight  and  satisfaction,  the 
triumphs  of  the  cross  extended  in  the  repentance  of 
sinners.     They  see  the  kingdom  of  darkness  diminish- 
ed, the  power  of  satan  more  circumscribed,  the  unhap- 
py rebellion  of  mankind  reclaimed,  sin  actually  finish- 
ed in  the  human  heart,  the  strong  holds  of  the  enemy 
reduced  by   the   power   of  divine   grace,   and  every 
thought  of  the  heart  brought  into  obedience  to  Christ. 
Nothing  short  of  this  can  be  meant  by  repentance; 
for  to  nothing  short  of  this  could  the  sense  of  the  par- 
ables be  justly  applied.     A  lost  sheep,  found  by  the 
shepherd,  restored  to  the  fold  from  which  it  wandered, 
giving  joy  to  the  owner  ;  the  finding  of  a  valuable  piece 
of  silver,  and  its  restoration  to  the  possession  of  its 
owner,  causing  joy  to  her  who  so  highly  prized  the 
treasure  ;  the  coming  home  of  a  long  absent  prodigal 
son,  in  the  most  humble  manner,  to  his  father,  being 
21* 


246  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

received  with  such  marks  of  favor,  and  treated  so 
kindly,  and  the  joy  inspired  by  the  occasion,  all  show, 
in  the  most  lively  colors,  the  true  penitence  of  the 
sinner,  his  happy  reception  into  the  enjoyment  of  fa- 
vor, and  the  devotedness  of  his  heart  to  gospel  obedi- 
ence :  while,  as  a  consequence  of  this  salvation,  joys 
unspeakable  abound  in  the  heart  of  every  true  lover  of 
God. 

Contrast  with  this  heavenly  theme  the  soul  chilling 
doctrine  of  eternal  rebellion  against  the  law  of  love, 
and  set  up  and  establish  the  kingdom  of  satan  and  his 
dominion  over  the  offspring  of  God,  then  ask  the  lov- 
ers of  the  cross  to  rejoice  in  such  doctrine,  what  heart 
could  comply  ?  To  require  a  song  of  rejoicing  in  this 
case,  would  be  like  the  tantalizing  request  to  the  cap- 
tives mentioned  in  Psalm  cxxxvii,  1 — 4  :  'By  the  riv- 
ers of  Babylon  there  we  sat  down ;  yea,  we  wept, 
when  we  remembered  Zion.  We  hanged  our  harps 
upon  the  willows  in  the  midst  thereof.  For  there  they 
that  carried  us  away  captive  required  of  us  a  song ; 
and  they  that  wasted  us,  required  of  us  mirth,  saying, 
Sing  us  one  of  the  songs  of  Zion.  How  shall  we  sinsc 
the  Lord's  song  in  a  strange  land.'  Those  who  have 
led  the  church  captive  into  Babylon  have  required  of 
her  songs,  and  those  who  have  wasted  her,  have  re- 
quired of  her  mirth  ;  but  her  harps  have  been  hung 
on  the  willows  of  sorrow,  and  she  has  wept  by  the  riv- 
ers of  grief. 

But  Zion  shall  be  redeemed  with  judgment,  and  her 
converts  with  righteousness  ;  the  ransomed  of  the  Lord 
shall  return,  and  come  unto  her  with  songs,  and  ever- 
lasting joy  upon  their  heads  ;  they  shall  obtain  joy  and 
gladness,  and  sorrow  and  sighing  shall  flee  away. 

Let  us  allow  the  objector,  the  liberty  to  oppose  the 
foregoing  arguments  by  stating  as  follows : 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  247 

1.  It  is  a  dishonor  to  God  to  argue  that  sinners  are 
his  offspring. 

2.  To  argue  that  God  loves  the  sinner  as  his  off- 
spring, and  exercises  a  fatherly  providence  over  him, 
and  all  the  fatherly  affections  and  mercies  towards  him, 
is  to  encourage  him  in  sin  and  rebellion  against  God. 
And 

3.  Such  arguments  serve  the  unjust  cause  of  exalt- 
ing the  wicked  in  his  own  eyes. 

These  objections  are  constantly  urged  by  those  who 
stand  in  the  character  of  the  Pharisees  and  scribes, 
who  are  zealous  to  defend  the  character  of  their  God 
against  all  such  dishonor,  and  are  equally  zealous  to 
set  the  wicked  in  a  low  diminutive  sphere.  But  these 
Pharisees  and  scribes  are  blind  and  insensible  to  the 
following  truths  : 

1.  If  it  be  not  allowed  that  sinners  are  the  offspring 
of  God,  it  will  be  difficult  to  determine  in  what  their 
sinfulness  consists ;  for  they  must  be  the  offspring  of 
God,  or  of  some  other  being,  or  they  must  be  self-exis- 
tent. If  they  be  the  offspring  of  some  other  being 
than  God,  it  must  be  proved  that  they  have  disobeyed 
this  being  in  order  to  prove  that  they  are  sinners.  If 
they  be  self-existent,  they  are  not  accountable  to  any 
being  but  themselves  ;  and  while  they  do  as  they 
please,  there  is  none  to  say,  what  doest  thou  ? 

2.  These  blind  guides,  who  suppose  that  it  is  an  en- 
couragement to  the  sinner  to  continue  in  sin,  to  argue 
and  prove,  from  the  word  of  God,  that  he  has  a  fath- 
er in  heaven  who  owns  him  as  his  child,  and  exercises 
a  fatherly  providence  over  him,  and  all  the  fatherly  af- 
fections and  mercies  towards  him, — are  insensible  and 
blind  to  the  fact,  that  they  themselves  are  the  wicked, 
and  stand  justly  condemned  for  the  omission  of  the 


248 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 


weightier  matters  of  the  law.  They  are  also  blind  to 
that  divine  truth  so  plainly  argued  in  the  following 
scriptures :  Rom.  ii,  4 :  'Or  despisest  thou  the  riches 
of  his  goodness,  and  forbearance,  and  long  suffering  ; 
not  knowing  that  the  goodness  of  God  leadeth  thee  to 
repentance  ? '  1  John  iv,  16  :  '  We  love  him  because 
he  first  loved  us.' 

3.  Their  prejudice  so  blinds  them  that  they  do  not 
see  that  the  argument,  that  the  sinner  is  the  acknow- 
ledged child  of  God,  is  so  far  from  serving  the  unjust 
cause  of  exalting  the  wicked  in  his  own  eyes,  that  its 
effects  in  the  mind,  are  exactly  the  reverse.  Disobedi- 
ence to  a  kind  and  merciful  father  is  surely  the  great- 
est cause  of  self  abasement,  that  can  be  imagined  ; 
while  on  the  other  hand,  not  to  allow  the  sinner  to  be 
the  acknowledged  child  of  God,  is  to  absolve  him 
from  this  most  humiliating  ingratitude.  Could  these 
Phai'isees  and  scribes  but  see  the  glorious  truth  of 
man's  relation  to  his  heavenly  father,  as  that  truth  is 
revealed  in  Christ,  and  could  they  but  realize  the  uni- 
versal brotherhood  of  mankind,  they  would  no  more 
murmur  because  the  Saviour  receiveth  sinners  and  eat- 
eth  with  them,  they  would  no  more  be  angry,  because 
our  heavenly  Father  receives  the  returning  prodigal ; 
nor  would  they  refuse  to  join  in  the  festive  joys  of 
the  fatted  calf,  if  they  loved  their  brethren  of  the  hu- 
man race,  as  they  do  themselves. 


PARABLES  XXXVI,  XXXVII,  XXXVIII. 

'  And  he  said  also  unto  his  disciples,  There  was  a  certain  rich  man  which 
had  a  steward;  and  the  same  was  accused  unto  him  that  he  had  wasted  his 
goods.  And  he  called  him,  and  said  unto  him,  How  is  it  that  I  hear  this 
of  thee?  give  an  account  of  thy  stewardship;  for  thou  mayestbe  no  longer 
steward.  Then  the  steward  said  within  himself,  What  shall  I  do!  for  my 
lord  taketh  away  from  me  the  stewardship:  I  cannot  dig;  to  beg  I  am  asha- 
med. I  am  resolved  what  to  do,  that  when  I  am  put  out  of  the  steward- 
ship, they  may  receive  me  into  their  houses.  So  he  called  every  one  of  his 
lord's  debtors  unto  him,  and  said  unto  the  first,  How  much  owcst  thou  unto 
my  lord?  and  he  said,  An  hundred  measures  of  oil.  And  he  said  unto  him, 
Take  thy  bill,  and  sit  down  quickly,  and  write  fifty.  Then  said  he  to  ano- 
ther, And  how  much  owest  thou?  and  he  said,  An  hundred  measures  of 
wheat.  And  he  said  unto  him,  Take  thy  bill,  and  write  fourscore.  And 
the  lord  commended  the  unjust  steward,  because  he  had  done  wisely:  for  the 
children  of  this  world  are  in  their  generation  wiser  than  the  children  of 
light.  And  I  say  unto  you,  Make  to  yourselves  friends  of  the  mammon  of 
unrighteousness  ;  that  when  ye  fail,  they  may  receive  you  into  everlasting  ha- 
bitations. He  chat  is  faithful  in  that  which  is  least,  is  faithful  also  in  much, 
and  he  that  is  unjust  in  the  least,  is  unjust  also  in  much.  If  therefore  ye  have 
not  been  faithful  in  the  unrighteous  mammon,  who  will  commit  to  your  trust 
the  true  riches!  And  if  ye  have  not  been  faithful  in  that  which  is  another 
man's,  who  shall  give  you  that  which  is  your  own!  No  servant  can  serve  two 
masters,  for  either  he  will  hate  the  one,  and  love  the  other;  or  else  he  will 
hold  to  the  one,  and  despise  the  other.  Ye  cannot  serve  God  and  mammon.' 
— Luke  xvi,  1 — 14. 

Our  blessed  Lord  delivered  the  foregoing  discourse 
to  his  disciples  in  hearing  of  the  Pharisees,  to  whom 
he  had  been  discoursing  in  the  preceding  chapter. 
And  it  appears  evident  that  he  intended  to  delineate 
the  real  character  of  the  Pharisees  and  scribes,  stand- 
ing in  the  Jewish  religion,  as  he  had,  for  the  sake  of 
a  query,  granted  them  a  more  favorable  character  than 
they  merited,  in  the  former  chapter.     The  reader  will 


250  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

do  well  to  take  into  consideration  the  general  thread 
of  discourse,  connecting  the  parables  in  the  preceding 
chapter,  and  the  succeeding  parables  in  this,  with  the 
one  under  consideration,  by  which  the  following  notes 
will  appear  just : 

1.  The  great  Lawgiver  who  descended  upon  Mount 
Sinai,  and  gave  forth  the  tables  of  the  first  covenant 
from  thence  to  Israel,  is  represented  in  the  parable  by 
a  lord  who  had  a  steward. 

2.  The  house  of  Israel,  to  whom  the  law  was  given, 
and  all  the  oracles  under  the  legal  dispensation  com- 
municated, is  meant  by  the  steward. 

3.  The  failure  of  the  Jews  in  not  keeping  the  law, 
is  intended  by  the  steward's  wasting  his  lord's  money; 
and  the  allegation  which  lay  against  them  for  making 
the  law  void  by  their  traditions,  is  signified  by  the 
steward  being  accused  to  his  lord. 

4.  The  rejecting  of  the  Jews,  and  the  taking  of  the 
law  from  them,  in  respect  to  dispensation,  is  meant  by 
the  steward  being  turned  out  of  his  stewardship. 

5.  Christ  shows  that,  in  natural  things,  an  unjust 
steward,  who  provided  for  himself,  by  bestowing  his 
lord's  property  on  his  debtors,  did  more  wisely  than 
the  Jews,  particularly  the  Pharisees,  whom  he  calls 
the  children  of  light,  did  in  things  of  God  and  relig- 
ion :  as  they  were  about  to  be  turned  out  of  their 
stewardship,  in  respect  to  the  law  and  ordinances 
thereof,  and  yet  rejected  their  Messiah  and  his  gos- 
pel, the  only  means  of  their  future  safety  and  enjoy- 
ment. 

6.  Christ  represents  the  legal  dispensation  and  the 
works  thereof,  by  the  mammon  of  unrighteousness  ; 
showing  that  the  ritual  righteousness  of  the  law  stood 
in  comparison  with  that  of  the  gospel  of  everlasting  life, 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  251 

as  things  temporal,  to  things  eternal.  And  under  this 
representation,  he  exhorts  the  people  to  make  unto 
themselves  friends,  by  improving  the  law  and  its  ordi- 
nances, so  as  to  introduce  themselves,  as  in  the  case 
of  the  virgins,  to  the  everlasting  habitation  of  the  bride- 
groom. 

7.  If  they  were  perverse  enough  to  make  void  the 
Jaw,  by  adopting  traditions  contrary  thereto,  (which  is 
meant  by  their  being  unjust  in  that  which  was  least, 
and  unfaithful  in  the  unrighteous  mammon,  and  in  the 
things  of  another,)  they  would  not  be  disposed  to 
make  any  better  use  of  the  gospel  and  the  privileges 
thereof:  but  would,  in  violation  of  its  divine  purity, 
substitute  their  own  mysterious  traditions,  giving 
them  the  sanction  of  divine  authority,  and  make  the 
gospel  a  trade,  as  they  had  made  the  law,  (as  many 
people  have  done  to  whom  the  gospel  has  been  preach- 
ed) which  is  meant  by  their  being  unjust  in  much ; 
which  deprived  them  of  the  privilege  of  the  true  riches 
which  were  verily  their  own.  This  circumstance  is 
very  similar  to  that  described  in  the  parable  of  the  one 
talent ;  where  it  is  shown,  that  by  the  servant  not  im- 
proving that  which  was  another's,  he  was  deprived  of 
any  further  privilege  of  that  which  was  committed  to 
his  care,  and  failed  of  that  promotion  which  he  would 
have  obtained  had  he  been  faithful. 

8.  Christ  represents  the  spirit  and  flesh,  by  two 
masters,  God  and  mammon ;  and  tells  them  that  they 
could  not  serve  both  ;  that  is,  while  they  professed  to 
serve  the  law  only  in  the  letter,  under  an  apprehension 
of  justification  thereby,  they  were  not  in  the  service  of 
God ;  and  the  righteousness'  acquired  thereby,  would 
not  be  acceptable.  Therefore  the  Pharisees,  who 
1  heard  all  these  things,'  being  full  of  spiritual  pride 


252  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

and  covetousness,  1  derided  him.'  But  Christ  replies, 
concerning  their  highly  esteemed  justification,  and  de- 
clared it  to  be  abomination  in  the  sight  of  God. 

'  Whosoever  putteth  away  his  wife,  and  marrieth  another,  comrnitteth 
adultery;  and  whosoever  marrieth  her  that  is  put  away  from  her  husband, 
comrnitteth  adultery.' — Luke  xvi,  18. 

These  words  are  here  evidently  used  parabolically ; 
by  which  the  propriety  of  the  preceding  parable  is 
shown,  and  the  succeeding  one  introduced.  In  verses 
16  and  17,  Christ  continuing  his  reply  to  the  Phariseees, 
says,  '  The  law  and  the  prophets  were  until  John  ; 
since  that  time  the  kingdom  of  God  is  preached,  and 
every  man  presseth  into  it.  And  it  is  easier  for  heav- 
en and  earth  to  pass  than  one  tittle  of  the  law  to  fail.' 
It  is  evident  that  the  general  thread  of  discourse  is  con- 
tinued, which  has  for  its  subject  the  putting  away  of 
the  law,  and  the  introduction  of  the  gospel,  and  the 
consequences  arising  to  the  Jews  on  their  rejecting  the 
Saviour,  agreeably  to  which  the  following  notes  are 
written. 

1.  As  a  man's  putting  away  his  wife  and  marrying 
another,  was  considered  adultery  ;  so  to  put  away  the 
law  dispensation,  and  marry  to  the  gospel,  before  the 
law  was  every  tittle  fulfilled,  blending  law  and  gospel, 
in  point  of  dispensation,  is  considered  spiritual  adulte- 
ry ;  an  adultery  of  which,  it  is  to  be  feared,  multitudes 
of  professed  christians  are  guilty,  by  endeavoring  to 
connect  the  law  of  works  with  the  law  of  faith  ;  and 
not  being  experimentally  dead  to  the  law  by  the  body 
of  Christ,  they  commit  the  above  mentioned  adultery 
by  professing  to  be  married  to  him  who  rose  from  the 
dead. 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  253 

2.  As  it  was  counted  adultery,  for  a  man  to  put  away 
his  wife,  and  marry  another ;  so  for  a  man  to  marry  a 
woman,  who  had  been  put  away  from  her  husband, 
was  considered  adultery.  By  which  we  learn  that  after 
the  law  was  fulfilled,  and,  as  a  dispensation,  put  away, 
for  the  Jews  still  to  marry  to  the  law,  would  be  spiritu- 
al adultery  ;  an  adultery  of  which  the  Jews  are  guilty 
even  to  this  day. 

I  now  come  to  the  third  and  last  parable  in  this  chap- 
ter, by  which  the  particular  subject  on  which  I  have 
been  writing,  seems  to  be  closed.  In  order  for  the 
reader  to  make  no  mistake  in  this  parable,  an  attention 
must  be  paid  to  the  adultery  last  described. 

*  There  was  a  certain  rich  man,  which  was  clothed  in  purple  and  fine  lin- 
en, and  fared  sumptuously  every  day.  And  there  was  a  certain  beggar  nam- 
ed Lazarus,  which  was  laid  at  his  gale,  full  of  sores,  and  desiring  to  be  fed 
with  the  cruml)s  which  fell  from  the  rich  man's  table:  moreover,  the  dogs 
came  and  licked  his  sores.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  the  beggar  died,  and 
was  carried  by  the  angels  into  Abraham's  bosom  :  the  rich  man  also  died, 
and  was  buried.  And  in  hell  he  lifted  up  his  eyes,  being  in  torments,  and 
seeth  Abraham  afar  off,  and  Lazarus  in  his  bosom.  And  he  cried,  and  said 
Father  Abraham,  have  mercy  on  me,  and  send  Lazarus,  that  he  may  dip  the 
tip  of  his  finger  in  water,  and  cool  my  tongue ;  for  I  am  tormented  in  this 
flame.  But  Abraham  said,  Son,  remember  that  thou  in  thy  lifetime  receiv- 
edst  thy  good  things,  and  likewise  Lazarus  evil  things;  but  now  be  is  com- 
forted, and  thou  art  tormented.  And,  besides  all  this,  between  us  and  you 
there  is  a  great  gulf  fixed;  so  that  they  which  would  pass  from  hence  to  you 
cannot;  neither  can  they  pass  to  us,  that  would  come  from  thence.  Then  he 
said,  1  pray  thee  therefore,  father,  that  thou  wouldst  send  him  to  my  father's 
house:  for  I  have  five  brethren;  that  he  may  testify  unto  them,  lest  they  also 
come  unto  this  place  of  torment.  Abraham  saith  unto  him,  They  have  Moses 
and  the  prophets;  let  them  hear  them.  And  he  said,  Nay,  father  Abraham, 
but  if  one  went  unto  them  horn  the  dead,  they  will  repent.  And  he  said 
unto  him,  If  they  hear  not  Mose3  and  the  prophets,  neither  will  they  be  per- 
suaded though  one  rose  from  the  dead.' — Luke  xvi,  19 — 31. 

The  reader,  by  observing  those  precautions  recom- 
mended in  the  introduction  of  the  above  parable,   will 
see  the  propriety  of  the  following  notes  : 
22 


254  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

1.  The  high  priest,  under  the  law,  is  represented  by 
a  rich  man,  whose  clothing  was  purple  and  fine  linen  ; 
a  garment  which  God  commanded  Moses  to  put  upon 
Aaron,  the  first  high  priest.  And  as  a  portion  of  the 
sacrifices  belonged  to  those  who  administered  at  the 
altar,  his  fare  was  every  day  sumptuous  ;  and  his  rich- 
es consisted  in  the  righteousness  of  the  law. 

2.  The  Gentiles  are  signified  by  a  beggar,  who  lay 
at  the  rich  man's  gate,  full  of  sores,  desiring  to  be  fed 
with  the  crumbs  which  fell  from  the  rich  man's  table, 
having  respect  to  the  tables  of  stone,  on  which  the 
oracles  of  God  were  written.  Instructions  from  those 
oracles,  are  represented  by  crumbs  falling  from  a  ta- 
ble ;  which  instructions  the  Gentiles  enjoyed  not.  under 
that  dispensation.  And  those  ancient  philosophers  of 
the  Gentiles,  who  endeavored  to  cure  the  moral  infirm- 
ities of  their  disciples,  and  to  lead  them  in  the  path  of 
moral  righteousness,  are  represented  by  dogs  licking 
the  sores  of  a  beggar. 

3.  By  the  death  of  the  beggar,  I  understand  the 
conversion  of  the  Gentiles  to  Christianity.  Christ  hav- 
ing closed  the  law  dispensation,  and  introduced  the 
gospel  of  salvation  preached  to  Abraham  by  Jehovah 
himself,  who  said,  '  in  thee  shall  all  the  families  of  the 
earth  be  blessed,'  the  Gentiles,  being  children  and 
heirs  of  that  promise,  received  '  the  unsearchable  rich- 
es of  Christ ; '  which  caused  them  to  die  to  all  the  life 
they  before  possessed.  They  died  to  all  their  gods 
and  idolatrous  worship,  and  were  carried  by  the 
apostles  of  Jesus  into  Abraham' s  faith;  which  is  rep- 
resented by  angels  carrying  Lazarus  into  Abraham's 
bosom. 

4.  By  the  death  of  the  rich  man,  I  understand  the 
close  of  that  dispensation  which  gave  him  all  the  pre- 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  255 

eminence  which  he  enjoyed  above  the  beggar  under 
the  law.  And  his  not  being  alive  to  the  gospel,  being 
dead  in  the  sin  of  the  adultery  before  described,  he 
was  in  a  fit  condition  for  burial,  in  which  he  differs 
from  the  beggar,  as  the  death  which  Lazarus  died  did 
not  admit  of  a  burial.  The  high  priest  being  shut  up 
from  the  light  of  the  gospel,  in  the  legal  ordinances, 
is  signified  by  his  being  buried. 

5.  His  lifting  up  his  eyes  in  hell,  being  tormented 
in  flames,  represents  a  conviction  of  the  condemning 
power  of  the  law,  and  the  ragings  of  that  fire  represent- 
ed by  the  fire  on  Sinai  at  the  giving  of  the  law.' 

6.  The  rich  man  seeing  Abraham  afar  off,  and  Laz- 
arus in  his  bosom,  is  the  fulfilment  of  the  words  of 
Christ  to  the  Pharisees.  '  Ye  shall  see  them  come  from 
the  east,  and  from  the  west,  and  from  the  north,  and 
from  the  south  and  sit  down  with  Abraham,  Isaac  and 
Jacob  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  but  you  yourselves  cast 
out : '  by  which  was  intended  the  conversion  of  the 
Gentiles  to  the  faith  of  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob; 
and  the  rejection  of  the  house  of  Israel. 

7.  That  the  rich  man  was  a  descendant  from  Abra- 
ham, and  that  he  stood  in  need  of  the  favors  which 
Lazarus  enjoyed,  we  learn  by  the  rich  man  calling 
Abraham  father,  and  praying  that  Lazarus  might  be 
sent  to  his  relief ;  to  which  Abraham  replies,  (acknow- 
ledging him  his  son)  '  Son,  remember  that  thou  in 
thy  life  time  receivedst  thy  good  things,  and  likewise 
Lazarus  evil  things;  but  now  he  is  comforted,  and 
thou  art  tormented ; '  having  allusion  to  their  differ- 
ent circumstances,  under  different  dispensations.  Abra- 
ham observes  further,  that  between  him  and  the  rich 
man,  there  was  a  great  gulf  fixed,  so  that  those  who 
would  go  from  Abraham  to  the  rich  man,  could  not ; 


256  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

and  those  who  would  come  from  the  rich  man  to 
Abraham,  could  not.  By  this  gulf,  I  understand  that 
divine  purpose  of  God,  communicated  by  Christ,  who 
said,  '  Henceforth,  your  house  is  left  unto  you  desolate, 
and  ye  shall  not  see  me  until  ye  shall  say,  Blessed  is 
he  who  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.5  The  same 
thing  is  meant  in  that  text  in  Romans,  which  I  have 
before  quoted  :  'I  would  not  have  you  ignorant,  bre- 
thren, of  this  mystery,  lest  ye  should  be  wise  in  your 
own  conceits,  that  blindness,  in  part,  hath  happened 
to  Israel  until  the  fulness  of  the  Gentiles  be  come  in.' 
By  these  passages,  we  learn,  that  it  was  the  purpose  of 
infinite  wisdom,  that  there  should  be  a  time,  in  which 
the  Jews,  who  rejected  the  Saviour,  should  wander  in 
darkness  and  desolation,  and  by  no  means  whatever 
be  brought  to  see  the  Saviour  until  that  time  be  elap- 
sed. By  those  who  are  in  Abraham's  bosom  desiring 
to  go  to  the  rich  man,  I  understand  the  desire  of  the 
Gentile  believers  of  going  to  the  apostate  Jews  with 
the  gospel  of  salvation  which  they  reject.  And  the 
wish  of  those  who  are  with  the  rich  man  to  go  to 
Abraham,  signifies  the  longings  of  the  Jews  for  the  ful- 
filment of  the  promises  made  to  Abraham  concerning 
a  Messiah. 

8.  By  the  rich  man's  five  brethren,  in  his  father's 
house,  is  meant  that  part  of  the  house  of  Israel,  which, 
was  broken  off  through  unbelief.  Moses  was  the  rich 
man's  legal  father ;  and  the  dispensation  of  law  his 
father's  house.  Those  Jews,  therefore,  who  commit- 
ted the  adultery  to  which  I  have  before  alluded,  con- 
tinued under  the  law  of  works,  as  did  the  high  priest 
For  those  the  rich  man  prays,  that  Lazarus  might  go 
to  persuade  them  to  the  acceptance  of  the  gospel,  be- 
fore they  should  open  their  eyes  to  all  the  torments 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  257 

which  he  felt  in  the  state  of  conviction.  But  Abraham 
answers,  *  They  have  Moses  and  the  prophets ;  let 
them  hear  them  : '  meaning,  that  while  they  turned  a 
deaf  ear  to  the  law  and  the  prophets,  it  would  be  of 
no  avail  to  send  one  from  the  dead ;  that  is,  one  pos- 
sessed of  the  knowledge  of  the  gospel,  being  dead  as 
before  described. 

The  reader  will  observe  the  parable  beginning  at  the 
12th  verse,  chapter  xix,  and  learn  its  meaning  by  com- 
paring it  with  the  parable  of  the  sheep  and  goats  in 
chapter  xxv,  of  Matthew.  This  parable  points  to  the 
destruction  of  the  Jews  particularly,  see  verse  27  : 
4  But  those  mine  enemies,  which  would  not  that  I  should 
reign  over  them,  bring  hither,  and  slay  them  before 
me ; '  compared  with  verses  43,  44 :  '  For  the  days 
shall  come  upon  thee,  that  thine  enemies  shall  cast  a 
trench  about  thee,  and  compass  thee  round,  and  keep 
thee  in  on  every  side,  and  shall  lay  thee  even  with 
the  ground,  and  thy  children  within  thee  ;  and  they 
shall  not  leave  in  thee  one  stone  upon  another ;  be- 
cause thou  knewest  not  the  time  of  thy  visitation.' 

No  wonder,  perfect  humanity  wept  over  Jerusalem, 
when  viewing  the  dreadful  calamities  which  were  im- 
mediately coming  upon  the  ancient  people  of  God,  in 
consequence  of  their  abusing  the  many  blessings  and 
privileges  which  the  Lord  bestowed  upon  an  ungrate- 
ful people. 

I  close  by  asking,  Do  the  Scriptures  less  condemn 
those  nations  who  have  made  void  the  gospel,  through 
their  traditions,  than  they  did  the  Jews,  for  abusing 
the  law? 


22* 


258  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 


ILLUSTRATION. 


As  the  Saviour  concluded  the  last  parable  in  chap- 
ter xv,  with  the  pathetic  address  of  the  father  to 
the  angry  son,  so  in  the  succeeding  three  parables  he 
alluded  to  the  same  general  subject;  the  whole  of 
which  may  be  clearly  seen,  by  beginning  the  15th 
chapter  and  reading,  with  attention  to  the  conclusion 
of  the  16th.  By  thus  connecting  this  discourse,  as  it 
evidently  ought  to  be,  two  valuable  ends  are  answer- 
ed: 

1.  The  true  application  of  these  parables  is  obtain- 
ed; and, 

2.  The  usual  method  of  treating  the  parable  of  the 
rich  man,  makes  it  wholly  irrelevant  to  the  subject  on 
which  the  Saviour  was  speaking. 

With  a  view  to  dispose  this  general  subject  so  that 
the  mind  may  find  an  easy  access  to  its  various  parts, 
the  following  method  will  be  observed : 

1.  The  dispensation  of  the  first,  or  legal  priest- 
hood, will  be  illustrated  by  the  similitude  of  a  steward- 
ship, as  stated  in  the  first  paragraph  of  this  16th  of  St. 
Luke. 

2.  The  dissolution  of  the  legal  priesthood,  with  some 
attendant  circumstances,  all  which  are  represented  by 
the  dissolution  of  a  marriage  covenant,  as  stated  in  the 
18th  verse  of  this  chapter,  will  be  noticed. 

3.  The  miserable  state  of  moral  darkness  and  death 
into  which  the  order  of  high  priests  under  the  law,  and 
those  of  the  house  of  Israel  who  adhered  to  those  blind 
guides,  were  cast,  will  be  shown,  under  the  similitude 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  259 

of  a  rich  man,  his  death  and  his  condition  afterwards, 
as  stated  in  the  last  paragraph  of  this  chapter. 

4.  The  introduction  of  the  Gentiles  to  the  knowledge 
and  faith  of  the  gospel,  will  be  seen,  as  in  the  notes, 
by  the  similitude  of  a  beggar,  carried  by  angels,  after 
his  death,  into  Abraham's  bosom,  as  stated  in  the  same 
paragraph.     And, 

5.  That  the  state  of  the  high  priests,  and  that  part 
of  Israel  who  were  broken  off  through  unbelief,  ought 
not  to  be  considered  as  hopeless,  will  be  shown  by  the 
Scriptures. 

1 .  This  stewardship  of  the  ministry,  under  the  first 
priesthood,  may  be  considered  as  figurative  of  the 
stewardship  of  the  ministry  of  the  gospel,  with  the 
same  propriety  that  the  priesthood  of  the  law  repre- 
sents that  of  Christ.  The  stewardship  of  the  gospel 
ministry  is  noticed  in  the  following  passages  :  1  Cor. 
iv,  1,  2 :  '  Let  a  man  so  account  of  us  as  the  ministers 
of  Christ,  and  stewards  of  the  mysteries  of  God. 
Moreover,  it  is  required  in  stewards  that  a  man  be 
found  faithful.'  Titus  i,  7,  9  :  '  For  a  bishop  must  be 
blameless  as  the  steward  of  God  ;  not  selfwilled,  not 
soon  angry,  not  given  to  wine,  no  striker,  not  given  to 
filthy  lucre ;  but  a  lover  of  hospitality,  a  lover  of  good 
men,  sober,  just,  holy,  temperate;  holding  fast  the 
faithful  word  as  he  hath  been  taught ;  that  he  may  be 
able,  by  sound  doctrine,  both  to  exhort  and  to  con- 
vince the  gainsayers.'  1  Peter  iv,  10  :  '  As  every  man 
hath  received  the  gift,  even  so  minister  the  same  one 
to  another,  as  good  stewards  of  the  manifold  grace  to 
God.' 

Here  we  see  what  the  ministers  of  the  gospel  are 
stewards  of.  They  are  stewards  of  the  mysteries  of 
God,  and  these  mysteries  are  the  manifold  grace  of 


260  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

God.  So  was  the  stewardship  of  the  ministry  of  the 
legal  priesthood,  in  which  was  dispensed  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  mysteries  of  life.  See  Mai.  ii,  4 — 7  :  '  And 
ye  shall  know  that  I  have  sent  this  commandment  un- 
to you,  that  my  covenant  might  be  with  Levi,  saith 
the  Lord  of  hosts.  My  covenant  was  with  him  of 
life  and  peace ;  and  I  gave  them  to  him  for  the  fear 
wherewith  he  feared  me,  and  was  afraid  before  my 
name.  The  law  of  truth  was  in  his  mouth,  and  ini- 
quity was  not  found  in  his  lips  ;  he  walked  with  me  in 
peace,  and  equity,  and  did  turn  many  away  from  ini- 
quity. For  the  priest's  lips  should  keep  knowledge, 
and  they  should  seek  the  law  at  his  mouth ;  for  he  is 
the  messenger  of  the  Lord  of  hosts.'  Compare  this 
passage  from  the  prophet  with  Num.  xxv,  12,  13: 
*  Wherefore  say,  Behold,  I  give  unto  him  my  covenant 
of  peace ;  and  he  shall  have  it,  and  his  seed  after  him, 
even  the  covenant  of  an  everlasting  priesthood  ;  be- 
cause he  was  zealous  for  his  God,  and  made  an  atone- 
ment for  the  children  of  Israel.'  Without  any  more 
quotations,  we  may  clearly  see  that  the  stewardship  ol 
legal  priesthood  consisted  in  being  in  possession  of  a 
covenant  of  life  and  peace,  in  preservirig  the  divine 
knowledge  of  this  life  and  peace,  and  in  communi- 
cating it  to  the  people,  turning  them  from  iniquity, 
and  in  making  atonement  for  their  sins.  This  cove- 
nant of  life  and  peace,  was  such,  because  it  was  a 
figure  of  a  better  covenant  mentioned  Heb.  viii,  6 : 
But  now  hath  he  obtained  a  more  excellent  ministry, 
by  how  much  also  he  is  tiie  mediator  of  a  better  cove- 
nant, which  was  established  upon  better  promises.' 
The  priesthood  of  the  law  had  power  to  make  an  atone- 
ment for  sin  in  a  figurative  sense  ;  for  the  high  priest, 
under  the  first  covenant,  was  an  eminent  representa- 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  261 

tive  of  the  great  apostle  and  High  Priest  of  our  chris- 
tian profession  ;  the  sacrifices  for  sin,  under  the  law, 
were  representations  of  him  who  was  made  a  sin  offer- 
ing for  us,  that  we  might  be  made  the  righteousness 
of  God  in  him.  St.  Paul,  speaking  of  those  priests, 
says,  '  Who  serve  unto  the  example  and  shadow  of 
heavenly  things.'  Again,  Heb.  v,  1,  2:  'For  every 
high  priest  taken  from  among  men  is  ordained  for  men 
in  things  pertaining  to  God,  that  he  may  offer  both 
gifts  and  sacrifices  for  sins  ;  who  can  have  compassion 
on  the  ignorant,  and  on  them  that  are  out  of  the  way; 
for  that  he  himself  also  is  compassed  with  infirmities.' 
Chap,  iv,  15  :  '  For  we  have  not  an  high  priest  which 
cannot  be  touched  with  the  feeling  of  our  infirmities, 
but  was  in  all  points  tempted  like  as  we  are,  yet  with- 
out sin.'  Thus  we  see  that  the  priesthood  under  the 
law,  being  a  shadow  of  the  priesthood  of  Christ,  was, 
in  the  hands  of  those  high  priests,  a  stewardship,  as 
the  ministry  of  the  gospel  was  in  the  hands  of  the  apos- 
tles of  the  Lamb  of  God,  who  taketh  away  the  sin  of 
the  world.  And  it  is  in  reference  to  this  first  priest- 
hood that  the  apostles  are  called  '  priests  unto  God 
and  the  Li^mb.' 

Having  this  clear  view  of  the  stewardship  in  which 
the  high  priests  stood,  it  is  easy  to  see  how  the  servi- 
ces of  that  shadowy  dispensation  ought  to  have  been 
improved  to  introduce  those  stewards  and  the  people, 
to  the  everlasting  habitation  of  that  covenant  which 
was  represented  by  the  first.  But  the  high  priest,  un- 
der the  law,  is  represented  by  a  steward  who  was  ac- 
cused to  his  lord  of  having  wasted  his  lord's  money. 
This  accusation  has  the  following  support.  See  in 
Malachi,  ii,  succeeding  the  former  quotation  from  that 
chapter,  verses  8,  9,  10 :  '  But  ye  are  departed  out  of 


262  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

the  way  ;  ye  have  caused  many  to  stumble  at  the  law; 
ye  have  corrupted  the  covenant  of  Levi,  saith  the  Lord 
of  hosts.  Therefore  have  I  also  made  you  contempt- 
ible and  base  before  all  the  people,  according  as  ye 
have  not  kept  my  ways,  but  have  been  partial  in  the 
law.'  See  in  the  10th  verse,  the  query  with  which  the 
prophet  opposes  their  partiality :  '  Have  we  not  all  one 
Father  ?  hath  not  one  God  created  us  ?  Why  do  we 
deal  treacherously  every  man  against  his  brother,  by 
profaning  the  covenant  of  our  fathers  ? '  Jer.  xxiii, 
11,  12:  '  For  both  prophet  and  priest  are  profane ; 
yea,  in  mine  house  have  I  found  their  wickedness, 
saith  the  Lord.  Wherefore  their  ways  shall  be  unto 
them  as  slippery  ways  in  the  darkness  ;  they  shall  be 
driven  on,  and  fall  therein,  for  I  will  bring  evil  upon 
them,  even  the  years  of  their  visitation,  saith  the  Lord.' 
Compare  this  with  Matt,  xxi,  12,  13  :  '  And  Jesus 
went  into  the  temple  of  God,  and  cast  out  all  them 
that  sold  and  bought  in  the  temple,  and  overthrew  the 
tables  of  money  changers,  and  the  seats  of  them  that 
sold  doves,  and  said  unto  them,  It  is  written,  My  house 
shall  be  called  the  house  of  prayer ;  but  ye  have  made 
it  a  den  of  thieves.' 

2.  The  dissolution  of  the  legal  priesthood  is  signi- 
fied by  the  parable  recorded  in  the  18th  verse  of  the 
16th  of  St.  Luke.  This  will  appear  evident  if  we  con- 
sider the  thread  of  discourse  into  which  this  parable 
was  introduced.  Observe  the  16th  and  17th  verses, 
by  which  the  parable  and  its  true  application  may  be 
understood.  'The  law  and  the  prophets  were  until 
John  :  since  that  time  the  kingdom  of  God  is  preach- 
ed, and  every  man  presseth  into  it.  And  it  is  easier  for 
heaven  and  earth  to  pass,  than  one  tittle  of  the  law  to 
fail.'     To  show  the  propriety  of  what  he  stated  in  this 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES  263 

testimony  concerning  the  law,  its  fulfilment,  and  of  its 
infallibility,  Jesus  makes  use  of  the  following  parable: 
Whosoever  putteth  away  his  wife,  and  marrieth  an- 
other, committeth  adultery  ;  and  whosoever  marrieth 
her  that  is  put  away  from  her  husband,  committeth 
adultry.'  The  reader  may  now  turn  an  eye  to  the 
notes,  where  this  parable  is  particularly  applied.  What 
seems  necessary  now  to  consider  is,  how  this  law  was 
fulfilled,  and  as  a  dispensation,  put  away.  See  Matt. 
v,  17,  18  :  i  Think  not  that  I  am  come  to  destroy  the 
law,  or  the  prophets :  I  am  not  come  to  destroy,  but  to 
fulfil.  For  verily  I  say  unto  you,  till  heaven  and  earth 
pass,  one  jot  or  one  tittle  shall  in  no  wise  pass  from  the 
law,  till  all  be  fulfilled.' 

It  was  with  reference  to  the  fulfilment  of  the  rites  of 
the  law  that  Jesus  was  baptized  of  John,  the  account 
of  which  we  have  in  Matt,  hi,  13,  14, 15  :  '  Then  came 
Jesus  from  Galilee  to  Jordan  unto  John  to  be  baptized 
of  him.  But  John  forbade  him,  saying,  I  have  need 
to  be  baptized  of  thee,  and  comest  thou  to  me  ?  And 
Jesus  answering,  said  unto  him,  Suffer  it  to  be  so  now: 
for  thus  it  becometh  us  to  fulfil  all  righteousness. 
Then  he  suffered  him.'  The  prophet  in  the  Psalm  xl, 
points  to  our  subject  in  very  plain  and  expressive  terms; 
see  verses  6,  13  8 :  '  Sacrifice  and  offering  thou  didst 
not  desire  ;  mine  ears  hast  thou  opened ;  burnt  offer- 
ing and  sin  offering  hast  thou  not  required.  Then 
said  I,  Lo,  I  come ;  in  the  volume  of  the  book  it  is 
written  of  me,  I  delight  to  do  thy  will,  O  my  God  : 
yea,  thy  law  is  within  my  heart.'  St.  Paul  applies 
this  scripture  to  Christ  in  such  a  way  as  to  make 
the  subject  under  consideration  evidently  clear.  See 
Heb.  x,  4 — 10:  'For  it  is  not  possible  that  the 
blood  of  bulls  and  of   goats  should  take  away  sins. 


264  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

Wherefore,  when  he  comet.h  into  the  world,  he  saith, 
Sacrifice  and  offering  thou  wouldst  not,  but  a  body 
hast  thou  prepared  me.  In  burnt  offerings  and  sacri- 
fices for  sin  thou  hast  had  no  pleasure  ;  then  said  I, 
Lo,  I  come  (in  the  volume  of  the  book  it  is  written 
of  me)  to  do  thy  will,  O  God.  Above,  when  he  said, 
Sacrifice,  and  offering,  and  burnt  offerings,  and  offer- 
ings for  sin,  thou  wouldst  not,  neither  hadst  pleasure 
therein  ;  (which  are  offered  by  the  law  ;)  then  said  he, 
Lo,  I  come  to  do  thy  will,  O  God.  He  taketh  away 
the  first,  that  he  may  establish  the  second.  By  the 
which  will,  we  are  sanctified,  through  the  offering  of 
the  body  of  Jesus  Christ  once  for  all.'  See  also  chap, 
vii,  18,  19:  'For  there  is  verily  a  disannulling  of  the 
commandment  going  before,  for  the  weakness  and  un- 
profitableness thereof.  For  the  law  made  nothing  per- 
fect, but  the  bringing  in  of  a  better  hope  did  ;  by  the 
which  we  draw  nigh  unto  God.'  This  apostle  has  ex- 
pressed the  same  thing  in  a  similitude  like  the  one  in 
the  16th  of  Luke.  See  Rom.  vii,  1 — 4  :  '  Know  ye 
not  brethren,  (for  I  speak  to  them  that  know  the  law) 
how  that  the  law  hath  dominion  over  a  man  as  long  as 
he  liveth  ?  For  the  woman  which  hath  an  husband  is 
bound  by  the  law  to  her  husband  so  long  as  he  liveth ; 
but  if  the  husband  be  dead,  she  is  loosed  from  the  law 
of  her  husband.  So  then,  if  while  her  husband  liveth, 
she  be  married  to  another  man,  she  shall  be  called  an 
adulteress  :  but  if  her  husband  be  dead,  she  is  free 
from  the  law ;  so  that  she  is  no  adulteress  though  she 
be  married  to  another  man.  Wherefore,  my  brethren, 
ye  also  have  become  dead  to  the  law  by  the  body  of 
Christ ;  that  ye  should  be  married  to  another,  even  to 
him  who  is  raised  from  the  dead,  that  we  should  bring 
forth  fruit  unto  God.'     As  in  the  words  of  Christ,  so  in 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  265 

these  of  the  apostle,  it  is  shown,  that  to  put  away  the 
law  while  its  priesthood  was  alive,  and  marry  to  ano- 
ther, would  be  adultery.  Christ  reverses  the  subject 
and  says,  '  And  whosoever  marrieth  her  that  is  put 
away  from  her  husband,  committeth  adultery.'  The 
apostle  says,  as  above  quoted,  '  My  brethren  ye  are 
become  dead  to  the  law  by  the  body  of  Christ ;  that 
ye  should  be  married  to  another.'  The  body  of  Christ, 
of  which  it  is  said,  a  body  hast  thou  prepared  me,  con- 
tained the  end  and  fulfilment  of  the  whole  ritual  priest- 
hood, so  that  the  offering  of  that  body  once  for  all, 
disannulled,  as  the  apostle's  term  is,  the  priesthood 
of  the  law,  and  delivered  the  people,  who  were  sol- 
emnly married  to  it,  from  that  marriage  covenant,  so 
that  they  were  free  from  the  law  of  their  former  hus- 
band, and  at  liberty  to  marry  to  a  risen  Saviour.  As 
is  shown  in  the  notes,  the  last  adultery  spoken  of  by 
Christ,  was  that  of  marrying  to  the  legal  covenant  af- 
ter it  was  put  away.  This  adultery  was  committed 
by  the  high  priests  and  their  disciples,  who  had  lost 
the  knowledge  of  what  those  rites  represented,  and 
were  zealously  attached  to  the  letter  of  the  law,  seek- 
ing righteousness  and  salvation  by  it.  This  brings  us 
as  was  proposed  to  consider, 

3.  The  miserable  state  of  moral  darkness  and  death 
into  which  the  order  of  high  priests  under  the  law, 
and  those  of  the  house  of  Israel,  who  adhered  to  those 
blind  guides,  were  cast.  This  is  represented  in  the 
last  paragraph  of  the  1 6th  of  Luke,  by  the  death  of  a 
rich  man,  as  the  notes  plainly  show. 

Conceiving  that  the  notes  on  the  subject  of  the  rich 

man    and  Lazarus  are  sufficiently  explicit  in  respect 

to  the  application  of  the  parable,  a  more  general  view 

of  the  subject  will  be  taken  by  recuring  to  other  scrip- 

23 


266  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

tures  illustrative  of  this  state  of  moral  darkness  and 
condemnation.  St.  Paul  speaks  of  this  subject  in 
Rom.  ix,  31,  32,  33  :  '  But  Israel  which  followed  after 
the  law  of  righteousness,  hath  not  attained  to  the  law  of 
righteousness.  Wherefore  ?  because  they  sought  it 
not  by  faith,  but  as  it  were  by  the  works  of  the  law • 
for  they  stumbled  at  that  stumbling  stone  ;  as  it  is 
written,  Behold,  I  lay  in  Sion  a  stumbling  stone,  and 
rock  of  offence  :  and  whosoever  believeth  on  him  shall 
not  be  ashamed.'  Thus  they  failed  in  making  unto 
themselves  friends  of  the  rites  of  the  first  priesthood, 
because  they  expected  to  attain  to  the  law  of  righte- 
ousness, by  those  literal  services,  while  the  weightier 
matters  of  the  law  were  omitted,  which  are  judgment, 
mercy  and  faith.  St.  Paul  notices  the  subject  some- 
what largely  in  Romans,  xi,  verse  7:  'What  then? 
Israel  hath  not  obtained  that  which  he  seeketh  for ; 
but  the  election  hath  obtained  it,  and  the  rest  were 
blinded.'  Here  the  apostle  refers  to  Isaiah  vi,  9,  10: 
'  And  he  said,  Go,  and  tell  this  people,  Hear  ye  in- 
deed, but  understand  not ;  and  see  ye  indeed,  but 
perceive  not.  Make  the  heart  of  this  people  fat,  and 
make  their  ears  heavy,  and  shut  their  eyes  ;  lest  they 
see  with  their  eyes,  and  hear  with  their  ears,  and  un- 
derstand with  their  heart,  and  convert,  and  be  healed.' 
Jeremiah  describes  the  wickedness  of  the  priests,  pro- 
phets and  people,  as  follows ;  see  chap,  v,  verse  23  : 
'  But  this  people  hath  a  revolting  and  a  rebellious  heart ; 
they  are  revolted  and  gone.'  27 — 31  :  '  as  a  cage  is 
full  of  birds,  so  are  their  houses  full  of  deceit ;  there- 
fore they  are  become  great  and  waxen  rich.  They  are 
waxen  fat,  they  shine  ;  yea,  they  overpass  the  deeds 
of  the  wicked :  they  judge  not  the  cause,  the  cause 
of  the  fatherless,  yet  they  prosper ;  and  the  right  of 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  267 

the  needy  do  they  not  judge.  Shall  I  not  visit  them 
for  these  things  ?  saith  the  Lord  :  Shall  not  my  soul 
be  avenged  on  such  a  nation  as  this  ?  A  wonderful 
and  horrible  thing  is  committed  in  the  land :  the  pro- 
phets prophecy  falsely,  and  the  priests  bear  rule  by 
their  means ;  and  my  people  love  to  have  it  so  :  and 
what  will  ye  do  in  the  end  thereof?'  These  priests 
who  bore  rule  by  means  of  the  false  prophets,  waxed 
fat  and  became  rich ;  they  devoured  widows'  houses, 
and  for  pretence  made  long  prayer. 

Here  is  the  rich  man  who  was  clothed  in  purple  and 
fine  linen  and  fared  sumptuously  every  day,  who  did 
not  judge  the  right  of  the  needy,  and  on  whom  our 
Saviour  pronounced  '  the  greater  damnation.' 

The  reader  will  see  that  the  subject  on  which  we 
are  now  laboring,  has  already  been  considerably  dis- 
cussed in  the  illustrations  of  notes  on  Matthew  xxv, 
where  particular  attention  was  paid  to  the  24th  and 
23d  chapters,  with  a  view  to  show  the  general  conex- 
ion  of  those  chapters,  and  their  fulfilment.  In  the  23d, 
Jesus  pronounced  on  his  enemies,  whom  he  called  a 
generation  of  vipers,  the  damnation  of  hell.  This 
damnation  is  described  in  St.  John  iii,  19  :  '  And  this 
is  the  condemnation,  that  light  is  come  into  the  world, 
and  men  loved  darkness  rather  than  light,  because 
their  deeds  were  evil.'  Jesus  was  the  light;  his 
preaching  and  doctrine  were  particularly  directed 
against  the  church,  which  had  the  high  priest  as  its 
head,  who  was  surrounded  by  Pharisees  and  scribes, 
of  whom  the  prophet  Jeremiah  said,  as  above  quoted, 
{ they  overpass  the  deeds  of  the  wicked.'  They  had, 
by  their  traditions,  established  criteria  by  which  they 
distinguished  between  the  righteous  and  the  wicked. 
Those  who  conformed  to  the  traditions  of  the  elders, 


268  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

were  righteous  ;  but  those  who  did  not,  were  accurs- 
ed ;  and  it  was  then  as  customary  to  talk  of  the  right- 
eous, and  the  ivicked,  as  it  is  now  in  the  antichristian 
church.  But  as  it  is  now,  so  it  was  then  :  those  who 
accounted  themselves  to  be  righteous,  overpassed,  in 
iniquity,  the  deeds  of  those  whom  they  called  wicked. 
Here  is  seen,  not  through  a  glass  darkly,  but  as  face 
answers  to  face  in  water,  the  reason  why  the  Jewish 
church  rejected  Christ,  and  also  why  the  antichristian 
church  of  the  present  day  does  the  same.  Jesus  was 
accused  by  the  Jewish  church  of  being  a  friend  to 
publicans  and  sinners  ;  and  this  is  the  accusation  urged 
at  present  by  the  antichristian  church.  The  judg- 
ments of  God  on  the  antichristian  church  are  mention- 
ed, as  has  been  noticed  in  a  former  part  of  this  work, 
in  Rev.  xviii.  And  for  a  full  account  of  the  judgments 
of  God  on  the  Jewish  church,  the  reader  is  referred  to 
Leviticus  xxvi ;  from  which  a  number  of  passages  are 
here  inserted  without  particular  reference  to  the  verses : 
'  I  also  will  do  this  unto  you ;  I  will  even  appoint  over 
you  terror,  consumption,  and  the  burning  ague,  that 
shall  consume  the  eyes,  and  cause  sorrow  of  heart; 
and  ye  shall  sow  your  seed  in  vain  ;  for  your  enemies 
shall  eat  it.  And  I  will  set  my  face  against  you,  and 
ye  shall  be  slain  before  your  enemies  ;  they  that  hate 
you  shall  reign  over  you  ;  and  ye  shall  flee  when  none 
pursueth  you.  I  will  break  the  pride  of  your  power; 
and  I  will  make  your  heaven  as  iron,  and  your  earth  as 
brass.  And  your  strength  shall  be  spent  in  vain  ;  for 
your  land  shall  not  yield  her  increase,  neither  shall  the 
trees  of  the  land  yield  their  fruits.  And  I  will  bring 
a  sword  upon  you  that  shall  avenge  the  quarrel  of  my 
covenant ;  and  when  ye  are  gathered  together  within 
your  cities,  I  will  send  the  pestilence  among  you  ;  and 
ye  shall  be  delivered  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.     I, 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  269 

even  I,  will  chastise  you  seven  times  for  your  sins. 
And  ye  shall  eat  the  flesh  of  your  sons,  and  the  flesh 
of  your  daughters  shall  ye  eat.  And  I  will  destroy 
your  high  places,  and  cut  down  your  images,  and  cast 
your  carcasses  upon  the  carcasses  of  your  idols,  and 
my  soul  shall  abhor  you.  And  I  will  make  your  cities 
waste,  and  bring  your  sanctuaries  unto  desolation,  and 
I  will  not  smell  the  savor  of  your  sweet  odors.  And  I 
will  bring  the  land  into  desolation,  and  your  enemies 
wrhich  dwell  therein  shall  be  astonished  at  it.  And  I 
will  scatter  you  among  the  heathen,  and  will  draw  out 
a  sword  after  you  ;  and  your  land  shall  be  desolate, 
and  your  cities  waste.  And  upon  them  that  are  left 
alive  of  you,  I  will  send  a  faintness  into  their  hearts  in 
the  land  of  their  enemies,  and  the  sound  of  a  shaken 
leaf  shall  chase  them  ;  and  they  shall  flee,  as  fleeing  from 
a  sword ;  and  they  shall  fall  when  none  pursueth  ;  And 
they  shall  fall  one  upon  another  as  it  were  before  a 
sword,  when  none  pursueth  ;  and  ye  shall  have  no 
power  to  stand  before  your  enemies.  And  ye  shall  perish 
among  the  heathen,  and  the  land  of  your  enemies  shall 
eat  you  up.  And  they  that  are  left  of  you  shall  pine 
away  in  their  iniquity  in  your  enemies'  lands  ;  and 
also  in  the  iniquities  of  their  fathers  shall  they  pine 
away  with  them.' 

The  iniquitous  conduct  of  this  wicked  church,  and 
God's  judgments  upon  it,  are  spoken  of  in  Psalm  lxix, 
18 — 28 :  '  Draw  nigh  unto  my  soul,  and  redeem  it ; 
deliver  me  because  of  mine  enemies.  Thou  hast 
known  my  reproach,  and  my  shame,  and  my  dishonor: 
mine  adversaries  are  all  before  thee.  Reproach  hath 
broken  my  heart,  and  I  am  full  of  heaviness  ;  and  I 
looked  for  some  to  take  pity,  but  there  was  none ; 
and  for  comforters,  but  I  found  none.  They  gave  me 
23* 


270  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

also  gall  for  my  meat,  and  in  my  thirst  they  gave  me 
vinegar  to  drink.  Let  their  table  become  a  snare  be- 
fore them ;  and  that  which  should  have  been  for  their 
welfare,  let  it  become  a  trap.  Let  their  eyes  be  dark- 
ened, that  they  see  not,  and  make  their  loins  continu- 
ally to  shake.  Pour  out  thine  indignation  upon  them, 
and  let  thy  wrathful  anger  take  hold  of  them.  Let 
their  habitation  be  desolate,  and  let  none  dwell  in 
their  tents.  For  they  persecuted  him  whom  thou 
hast  smitten  ;  and  they  talk  to  the  grief  of  those  whom 
thou  hast  wounded.  Add  iniquity  to  their  iniquity  ; 
and  let  them  not  come  into  thy  righteousness.  Let 
them  be  blotted  out  of  the  book  of  the  living,  and  not 
be  written  with  the  righteous.'  Time  would  fail  to 
mention  all  the  passages  of  Scripture  which  relate  to, 
and  point  out  the  state  of  moral  darkness  and  death 
into  which  the  Jewish  church  was  cast  at  the  close  of 
the  first  priesthood  ;  the  foregoing,  in  connexion  with 
the  scriptures  and  arguments  on  the  same  subject,  us- 
ed in  the  illustrations  of  former  parables,  perhaps  are 
sufficient.  And  truly,  if  the  damnation  of  hell  consists 
in  the  darkness,  blindness,  punishments  and  sufferings 
above  described  by  Moses  and  David,  no  wonder  Jesus 
wept  over  that  people  on  whom  he  pronounced  such 
terrible  condemnation. 

4.  As  was  proposed,  a  few  passages  on  the  subject 
of  the  introduction  of  the  Gentiles  to  the  knowledge 
and  faith  of  the  gospel,  will  now  be  considered.  Of 
this,  the  prophet.  Isaiah  speaks  in  a  most  beautiful 
manner,  chapter  xlix,  6 :  '  And  he  said,  Art  thou 
lighter  than  that  thou  shoufdst  be  my  sei'vant,  to  raise 
up  the  tribes  of  Jacob,  and  to  restore  the  desolation 
of  Israel?  I  will  also  give  thee  for  a  light  to  the 
GentiLs,  that  thou  mayst  be  my  salvation  unto  the 
end  of  the  earth? 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  271 

The  above  passage  is  here  quoted  from  the  margi- 
nal reading,  as  it  seems  more  proper  to  put  the  first 
part  of  the  text  in  the  form  of  a  question,  than  of 
an  assertion  ;  and  the  word  desolation,  seems  more 
applicable  to  the  subject  of  7,estoring,  than  the  word 
preserved.  See  chapter  xlii,  6,  7  :  'I  the  Lord  have 
called  thee  in  righteousness,  and  will  hold  thine 
hand,  and  will  keep  thee,  and  give  thee  for  a  covenant 
of  the  people,  for  a  light  of  the  Gentiles  ;  to  open  the 
blind  eyes,  to  bring  out  the  prisoners  from  the  prison, 
and  them  that  sit  in  darkness  out  of  the  prison  house.' 
Amos  ix,  11,  12:  'In  that  day  will  I  raise  up  the 
tabernacle  of  David  that  is  fallen,  and  close  up  the 
breaches  thereof;  and  I  will  raise  up  his  ruins,  and  I 
will  build  it  as  in  the  days  of  old :  that  they  may  pos- 
sess the  remnant  of  Edom,  and  all  the  heathen,  which 
are  called  by  my  name,  saith  the  Lord,  that  doeth  this.' 

This  passage  from  Amos  is  quoted  by  the  apostle 
James,  in  the  15th  chapter  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles, 
applied  to  these  words  of  Peter:  i  Men  and  brethren, 
ye  know  how  that  a  good  while  ago  God  made  choice 
among  us,  that  the  Gentiles  by  my  mouth  should  hear 
the  word  of  the  gospel,  and  believe.  And  God,  which 
knoweth  the  hearts,  bear  them  witness,  giving  them 
the  Holy  Ghost,  even  as  he  did  unto  us  ;  and  put  no 
difference  between  us  and  them,  purifying  their  hearts 
by  faith.'  The  passage  quoted  from  the  49th  of  Isai- 
ah, St.  Paul  quoted  in  Acts  xiii,  47 :  *  For  so  hath 
the  Lord  commanded  us,  saying,  I  have  set  thee  to 
be  a  light  of  the  Gentiles,  that  thou  shouldst  be  for 
salvation  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth.'  Isaiah  lxii,  2 : 
c  And  the  Gentiles  shall  see  thy  righteousness,  and  all 
kings  thy  glory.'  Chap.  Ix,  3  :  '  And  the  Gentiles 
shall  come  to  thy  light,  and  kings  to  the  brghtness  of 


272  NOTES    ON    THE    TARABLES. 

thy  rising.'  Chap,  liv,  3  :  '  For  thou  shalt  break  forth 
on  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left ;  and  thy  seed  shall 
inherit  the  Gentiles.'  These  few  passages,  from  the 
many  which  speak  of  the  same  subject,  show  that  the 
Gentiles,  who  were  represented  by  a  beggar  without 
the  rich  man's  gate,  were  carried  by  the  apostles  of 
the  Lamb,  into  the  faith  of  Abraham,  which  is  repre- 
sented by  Abraham's  bosom.  The  bosom,  signify- 
ing fatherly  love  and  faithfulness,  is  a  beautiful  repre- 
sentation of  the  covenant  mercies  into  which  the  be- 
lieving Gentiles  were  received.  See  this  subject  as 
represented  by  St.  Paul  to  the  Galatians,  iii,  7,  8,  9 : 
'Know  ye,  therefore,  that  they  which  are  of  faith,  the 
same  are  the  children  of  Abraham.  And  the  Scrip- 
tures, foreseeing  that  God  would  justify  the  heathen 
through  faith j  preached  before  the  gospel  unto  Abra- 
ham, saying,  In  thee  shall  all  nations  be  blessed.  So 
then  they  which  be  of  faith  are  blessed  with  faithful 
Abraham.'  See  verse  14 :  '  That  the  blessing  of  Abra- 
ham might  come  on  the  Gentiles  through  Jesus  Christ ; 
that  we  might  receive  the  promise  of  the  spirit  through 
faith.'  It  is  said,  in  the  parable,  that  the  rich  man  saw 
Abraham  afar  oft',  and  Lazarus  in  his  bosom.  Very 
far  indeed  !  The  moral  distance  between  the  state  in 
which  we  have  seen  the  Jewish  church,  and  that  in 
which  we  have  seen  the  Gentile  church  of  believing 
christians,  is  very  great,  and  astonishingly  different. 
The  state  of  the  former  is  that  of  wretchedness  in  the 
extreme,  while  that  of  the  latter  is  in  the  same  propor- 
tion glorious. 

It  remains  that  we  show,  as  was  proposed, 
5.  That  the  state  of  the  high  priests,  and  that  part 
of  Israel  who  were  broken  off  through  unbelief,  ought 
not  to  be  considered  as  hopeless.     This  rich  man  has 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  273 

been  generally  considered  as  some  individual  person, 
known  to  our  Saviour,  who  was  very  covetous  and  un- 
feeling in  his  lifetime ,  who  literally  died  and  went  to 
a  state  of  misery  in  the  future  world,  from  which  mis- 
ery there  never  can  be  any  deliverance.  This  ac- 
count is  also  made  of  general  use  to  prove  the  com- 
mon doctrine  of  the  endless  miseries  of  the  wicked 
who  die  without  faith  in  Christ.  It  is  hoped,  howev- 
er, that  the  notes,  together  with  the  foregoing  illustra- 
tion, set  this  matter  in  a  very  different  light  to  the  un- 
prejudiced mind ;  and  show,  in  too  plain  a  manner  to 
be  misunderstood,  that  our  Saviour  was  discoursing  on 
no  such  subject  as  this  passage  is  generally  applied  to. 
Having  found  satisfactory  reasons  for  applying  the 
parable  of  the  rich  man  to  the  Jewish  church,  in 
manner  and  form  as  set  forth  in  the  notes,  and  the 
foregoing  illustrations,  the  present  object,  as  above 
stated,  is  to  show,  from  the  Scriptures,  that  that  church 
is  not  left  in  a  hopeless  condition.  Labors  on  this  sub- 
ject may  properly  be  directed  to  show, 

1.  That  nothing  in  the  denunciations  of  Moses,  re- 
corded in  the  26th  of  Leviticus,  can,  with  the  least 
propriety,  be  explained  so  as  to  exclude  that  people 
eternally  from  the  divine  favor ;  and, 

2.  That  the  Scriptures  do,  in  a  direct  and  positive 
manner,  insure  us  the  joyful  hope  for  which  we  are 
now  seeking. 

1.  Of  the  denunciations  recorded  in  the  26th  of 
Leviticus.  Let  it  be  first  noticed  that  the  punishments 
there  described,  are  not  only  said  to  be  for  the  sins 
of  that  people,  but  according  to  their  sins.  See  verse 
18 :  '  And  if  you  will  not  for  all  this  hearken  unto  me, 
then  I  will  punish  you  seven  times  more  for  your  sins.' 
Verse  21 :  '  And  if  ye  walk  contrary  unto  me,  and 


274  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

will  not  hearken  unto  me,  I  will  bring  seven  times 
more  plagues  upon  you,  according  to  your  sins.'  Let 
it  be  asked  in  the  next  place,  what  those  punishments 
were  ?  Answer  :  Terror,  consumption,  burning  ague, 
loss  of  harvest  by  the  enemy,  being  slain  by  their 
enemies,  ruled  by  their  enemies,  they  should  flee 
when  none  pursued,  the  pride  of  their  power  should 
be  broken,  their  heaven  should  be  as  iron  and  their 
earth  as  brass,  they  should  spend  their  strength  in  vain 
through  the  barrenness  of  their  land,  their  children  and 
their  cattle  were  to  be  destroyed  by  wild  beasts,  their 
highways  were  to  be  desolate,  a  sword  should  be 
brought  upon  them  which  should  avenge  the  quarrel 
of  God's  covenant,  the  pestilence  should  be  sent  among 
them,  they  should  be  delivered  into  the  hands  of  their 
enemies,  for  want  of  bread  they  should  eat  and  not  be 
satisfied,  they  should  eat  the  flesh  of  their  sons,  and  the 
flesh  of  their  daughters,  their  high  places  and  images 
should  be  destroyed,  their  carcasses  should  be  cast  up- 
on the  carcasses  of  their  idols,  their  cities  should  be 
made  waste,  their  sanctuaries  should  be  brought  into 
desolation,  their  land  should  be  brought  into  des- 
olation, their  enemies  should  dwell  in  their  land, 
they  should  be  scattered  among  the  heathen,  a  sword 
should  be  drawn  out  after  them,  on  them  who  were 
left  alive  a  faintness  should  be  sent  even  into  their 
hearts,  the  sound  of  a  shaken  leaf  should  chase  (hem, 
they  should  fall  one  upon  another  as  it  were  before  a 
sword,  they  should  perish  among  the  heathen,  the 
land  of  their  enemies  should  eat  them  up,  they  should 
pine  away  in  their  iniquity  in  their  enemies'  land,  and 
in  the  iniquities  of  their  fathers  they  should  pine  away. 
Let  us  now  ask  two  questions  :  1 .  Is  it  possible  to 
conceive  of  any  punishment  more  dreadful  than  the 
foregoing,  to  which  mortal  beings  in  this  state  of  exis- 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  275 

tence  are  subject  ?  2.  Is  it  possible  to  conceive  that 
any  or  all  of  these  punishments  will  be  inflicted  on 
that  people,  or  on  any  other,  in  a  future  state,  and  to 
all  eternity  ?  These  questions  will  be  answered  in  the 
negative  by  all  candid  persons.  What  then  is  the 
necessary  conclusion  ?  Answer  :  If  these  punishments 
were  for  the  sins  of  that  people,  were  according  to 
their  sins,  and  sufficient  to  avenge  the  quarrel  of 
God's  covenant,  then  it  is  certain  beyond  all  contra- 
diction, that  the  sins  of  that  people  did  not  deserve, 
in  the  eyes  of  God,  who  is  the  proper  judge,  never 
ending  punishment  in  the  eternal  world ;  nor  will  God 
have  an  occasion,  in  order  to  avenge  the  quarrel  of  his 
covenant  with  that  people,  to  quarrel  with  them  to 
all  eternity.  The  form  of  expression  here  used,  though 
rather  harsh,  is  justified  by  the  sacred  text;  and  it 
being  well  calculated  to  show  the  nature  of  the  subject 
in  a  very  evident  light,  is  admitted. 

That  all  these  judgments  do  not  render  the  state  of 
that  church  hopeless,  may  be  seen  by  noticing  the  re- 
mainder of  this  chapter.  See  from  the  40th  verse  to 
the  close :  •  If  they  shall  confess  their  iniquity,  and  the 
iniquity  of  their  fathers,  with  their  trespass  wThich  they 
trespassed  against  me,  and  that  also  they  have  walked 
contrary  unto  me;  and  that  I  also  have  walked  con- 
trary unto  them,  and  have  brought  them  into  the  land 
of  their  enemies ;  if  then  their  uncircumcised  hearts 
be  humbled,  and  they  then  accept  of  the  punishment 
of  their  iniquity  ;  then  will  I  remember  my  covenant 
with  Jacob,  and  also  my  covenant  with  Isaac,  and  al- 
so my  covenant  with  Abraham  will  I  remember ;  and 
I  will  remember  the  land.  The  land  also  shall  be  left 
of  them,  and  shall  enjoy  her  Sabbaths,  while  she  lieth 
desolate  without  them  ;  and  they  shall  accept  of  the 


276  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

punishment  of  their  iniquity ;  because,  even  because 
they  despised  my  judgments,  and  because  their  soul 
abhorred  my  statutes.  And  yet  for  all  that,  when  they 
be  in  the  land  of  their  enemies,  I  will  not  cast  them 
away,  neither  will  I  abhor  them,  to  destroy  them  utter- 
ly, and  to  break  my  covenant  with  them :  for  I  am  the 
Lord  their  God.  But  I  will  for  their  sakes  remember 
the  covenant  of  their  ancestors,  whom  I  brought  forth 
out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  in  the  sight  of  the  heathen, 
that  I  might  be  their  God.  I  am  the  Lord.  These 
are  the  statutes  and  judgments,  and  laws,  which  the 
Lord  made  between  him  and  the  children  of  Israel  in 
mount  Sinai,  by  the  hand  of  Moses.'  The  Lord  God, 
the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  had  the  whole 
management  of  the  foregoing  covenant,  laws,  statutes 
and  judgments ;  and  by  them  he  will  judge  his  peo- 
ple ;  he  will  see  the  whole  faithfully  executed,  but  he 
is  under  no  obligation  to  forget  his  covenant,  or  to  be- 
come unmerciful  at  the  instigation  of  unmerciful  men. 
Here  let  us  quote  the  declaration  of  Stephen.  See 
Acts  vii,  51  —54  :  'Ye  stiff-necked,  and  uncircumcised 
in  heart  and  ears,  ye  do  always  resist  the  Holy  Ghost: 
as  your  fathers  did,  so  do  ye.  Which  of  the  prophets 
have  not  your  fathers  persecuted  ?  and  they  have 
slain  them  which  showed  before  of  the  coining  of  the 
just  One ;  of  whom  ye  have  been  now  the  betrayers 
and  murderers :  who  have  received  the  law  by  the  dis- 
position of  angels,  and  have  not  kept  it.  When  they 
heard  these  things  they  were  cut  to  the  heart,  and 
they  gnashed  on  him  with  their  teeth.'  They  now 
saw  their  dreadful  state  ;  they  felt  the  force  of  those 
words  of  Stephen  and  could  not  withstand  it;  they 
knew  his  testimony  was  true  ;  therefore  it  cut  them  to 
the  heart.     They  had  received  the  law,  but  had  not 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  277 

kept  it,  and  the  judgments  written  were  against  them. 
On  them  Jesus  had  pronounced  the  damnation  of  hell ; 
but  let  it  be  noticed,  that  Jesus  pronounced  on  them 
nothing,  which  was  not  written  in  their  law  ;  as  a  faith- 
ful judge,  to  whom  all  judgment  was  committed,  he 
would  not  go  beyond  the  statutes  and  judgments  of  his 
Father. 

But  it  is  time  to  consider, 

2.  That  the  Scriptures  do,  in  a  direct  and  positive 
manner,  insure  us  the  joyful  hope  for  which  we  are 
now  seeking.  See  Isaiah  xlv,  25 :  '  In  the  Lord  shall 
all  the  seed  of  Israel  be  justified,  and  shall  glory.' 
See  how  this  testimony,  so  directly  to  the  point  in 
question,  is  introduced  :  verses  22,  23,  24  :  '  Look  un- 
to me  and  be  ye  saved,  all  the  ends  of  the  earth;  for 
I  am  God,  and  there  is  none  else.  I  have  sworn  by 
myself,  the  word  is  gone  out  of  my  mouth  in  right- 
eousness, and  shall  not  return,  that  unto  me  every  knee 
shall  bow,  every  tongue  shall  swear.  Surely,  shall  one 
say,  In  the  Lord  have  I  righteousness  and  strength  : 
even  to  him  shall  men  come ;  and  all  that  are  incensed 
against  him  shall  be  ashamed.'  If  this  oath  of  Jehovah 
be  ever  fulfilled,  universal  submission  to  God  and  his 
righteousness  must  be  the  consequence.  In  the  Lord 
shall  all  the  seed  of  Israel  be  justified,  and  shall  glory. 
Let  us  see  the  ground  of  this  justification.  Observe, 
particularly,  it  is  in  the  Lord.  See  Rom.  iv,  25 : 
1  Who  was  delivered  for  our  offences,  and  was  raised 
again  for  our  justification.  V.  18  :  '  Therefore,  as  by 
the  offence  of  one,  judgment  came  upon  all  men  to 
condemnation ;  even  so  by  the  righteousness  of  one, 
the  free  gift  came  upon  all  men  unto  justification  of 
life.'  St.  Paul  not  only  notices  the  darkness  and 
blindness  of  the  house  of  Israel,  in  his  11th  chapter  to 
24 


278  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

the  Romans,  in  a  very  ample  manner,  but  is  careful  to 
direct  a  particular  and  most  luminous  argument  to 
show  that  those  blinded  Jews  will  at  last  obtain  salva- 
tion. Thus  he  argues :  '  I  say  then,  have  they  stum- 
bled that  they  should  fall  ?  God  forbid  :  but  rather 
through  their  fall  salvation  is  come  unto  the  Gentiles, 
for  to  provoke  them  to  jealousy.  Now,  if  the  fall  of 
them  be  the  riches  of  the  world,  and  the  diminishing 
of  them  the  riches  of  the  Gentiles;  how  much  more 
their  fulness  ?  For  if  the  casting  away  of  them  be  the 
reconciling  of  the  world,  what  shall  the  receiving  of 
them  be  but  life  from  the  dead  ?  For  if  the  first  fruit 
be  holy,  the  lump  is  also  holy:  and  if  the  root  be  holy, 
so  are  the  branches.  For  if  thou  wert  cut  out  of  the 
olive-tree  which  is  wild  by  nature,  and  wert  graffed 
contrary  to  nature  into  a  good  olive-tree  ;  how  much 
more  shall  these,  which  be  the  natural  branches,  be 
graffed  into  their  own  olive-tree  ?  For  I  would  not, 
brethren,  that  ye  should  be  ignorant  of  this  mystery, 
(lest  ye  should  be  wise  in  your  own  conceits)  that 
blindness  in  part  is  happened  to  Israel,  until  the  ful- 
ness of  the  Gentiles  be  come  in.  And  so  all  Israel 
shall  be  saved ;  as  it  is  written,  There  shall  come  out 
of  Sion  die  deliverer,  and  shall  turn  away  ungodliness 
from  Jacob.  For  this  is  my  covenant  unto  them,  when 
I  shall  take  away  their  sins.  As  concerning  the  gos- 
pel, they  are  enemies  for  your  sakes ;  but  as  touching 
the  election,  they  are  beloved  for  the  fathers'  sakes. 
For  the  gifts  and  calling  of  God  are  without  repent- 
ance. For  as  ye  in  times  past  have  not  believed 
God,  yet  have  now  obtained  mercy  through  their  un- 
belief: even  so  have  these  also  now  not  believed,  that 
through  your  mercy  they  also  may  obtain  mercy.  For 
God  hath  concluded   them  all    in    unbelief,    that   he 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  279 

might  have  mercy  upon  all.'  These  blinded,  fallen, 
broken  off  and  diminished  Jews,  are  those  on  whom 
Jesus  pronounced  the  damnation  of  hell ;  they  are 
those  on  whom  the  law  pronounced  all  its  curses  ; 
but  they  are  those  likewise,  the  receiving  of  whom 
shall  be  life  from  the  dead;  they  are  those  also  who 
shall  be  justified  in  the  Lord  ;  and  in  him  shall  they 
glory. 

Whoever  duly  read  and  compare  the  foregoing 
scriptures,  and  yet  not  acknowledge  their  force  to 
support  the  hope  for  which  we  are  seeking,  must,  it  is 
conceived,  be  influenced  by  something  worse  than 
mere  blindness,  and  be  totally  opposed  in  their  hearts 
and  affections  to  the  glorious  truth  which  these  scrip- 
tures so  evidently  prove.  See  Ezek.  xvi,  59 :  '  For 
thus  saith  the  Lord  God,  I  will  even  deal  with  thee 
as  thou  hast  done,  which  hast  despised  the  oath  in 
breaking  the  covenant.'  Here  let  the  query  be  care- 
fully handled :  Had  Jerusalem  despised  an  oath,  and 
Woken  a  covenant?  Yes.  What  covenant?  That 
which  God  made  with  their  fathers.  What  had  they 
done  ?  They  made  and  worshipped  images.  With 
what  service  did  they  serve  those  images  ?  God's 
complaint  against  them  is  as  follows :  '  Thou  tookest 
thy  broidered  garments  and  coveredst  them,  (the  ima- 
ges,) and  thou  hast  set  mine  oil  and  mine  incense  be- 
fore them.  My  meat  also  which  I  gave  thee,  fine 
flour,  and  oil,  and  honey,  wherewith  I  fed  thee,  thou 
hast  even  set  it  before  them  for  a  sweet  savor.  More- 
over, thou  hast  taken  thy  sons  and  thy  daughters, 
whom  thou  hast  born  unto  me.  and  these  hast  thou  sa- 
crificed unto  them  to  be  devoured.'  If  the  reader  can 
endure  more,  let  him  read  the  whole  of  the  16th  of 
Ezekiel,  and  then  open  his  ears  to  the  following  excla- 


280  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

mation  in  verse  23,  Wo,   wo,  unto  thee  !    saith  the 
Lord  God. 

If  God  deal  with  those  covenant  breakers  according- 
ly as  they  have  dealt  with  him,  what  will  he  do?  no- 
tice particularly  that  in  the  59th  verse  God  says,  as 
above  quoted,  cl  will  even  deal  with  thee  as  thou 
hast  done.'  If  so,  will  he  ever  show  them  any  favor? 
Read  with  attention  the  very  next  words,  as  follows : 
'  Nevertheless  I  will  remember  my  covenant  with  thee 
in  the  days  of  thy  youth,  and  I  will  establish  unto  thee 
an  everlasting  covenant.  Then  thou  shalt  remember 
thy  ways,  and  be  ashamed,  when  thou  shalt  receive 
thy  sisters,  thine  elder  and  thy  younger :  and  I  will 
give  them  unto  thee  for  daughters,  but  not  by  thy 
covenant.  And  I  will  establish  my  covenant  with 
thee ;  and  thou  shalt  know  that  I  am  the  Lord/  Did 
God  know  that  he  could  punish  that  covenant  break- 
ing, idolatrous  people  according  to  what  they  had 
done,  and  afterwards  establish  another  and  an  ever- 
lasting covenant  with  them  ?  If  so,  the  commonly  re- 
ceived opinion,  that  the  rebellious  people  deserve  and 
will  positively  endure  never  ending  torment  in  a  fu- 
ture state,  is  not  true.  On  the  other  hand,  the  hope 
for  which  we  are  seeking,  receives  strength  and  sup- 
port from  the  force  and  evidence  of  the  above  scrip- 
tures; for  if  a  people  who  had  broken  a  solemn  cove- 
nant of  their  God  and  gone  from  his  worship  and 
bowed  down  to  images  of  their  own  make,  and  offered 
as  sacrifices  their  own  offspring,  could  be  punished 
according  to  what  they  had  done,  and  yet  receive  from 
God  the  mercies  of  another  and  an  everlasting  cove- 
nant, we  have  reason,  and  that  sufficient,  to  believe 
and  hope  in  the  salvation  of  that  people  which  the  par- 
able in  the  last  paragraph  of  the  16th  of  Luke  repre- 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  281 

sents.  If  it  be  suggested  that  those  of  whom  Ezekiel 
spoke  were  not  so  great  sinners  as  some  other  people, 
it  may  be  well  to  look  and  see  what  he  says  on  this 
subject.  See  verse  48:  '  As  I  live,  saith  the  Lord, 
Sodom  thy  sister  hath  not  done,  she  nor  her  daugh- 
ters, as  thou  hast  done,  thou  and  thy  daughters." 
Verse  51  :  'Neither  hath  Samaria  committed  half  of 
thy  sins ;  but  thou  hast  multiplied  thine  abominations 
more  than  they.'  If  we  allow  that  God  spoke  these 
words  by  the  prophet,  we  must  of  course  suppose  that 
he  knew  nothing,  at  that  time,  of  the  doctrine  of  the 
infinity  of  sin,  which  our  doctors  now  hold  as  an  es- 
sential article  of  the  christian  faith  !  For  if  Sodom  and 
Samaria  had  not  committed  half  the  abomination  that 
Jerusalem  had,  and  yet  had  sinned  to  an  infinite  de- 
gree, it  is  very  plain  that  Jerusalem  had  sinned  to  the 
amount  of  more  than  two  infinities. 

Perhaps,  however,  we  ought  here  to  ask  pardon  of 
the  doctors  for  comparing  their  creed  with  the  word  of 
God,  with  which  it  has  so  little  connexion.  In  the 
60th  and  61st  verses,  as  has  been  quoted,  God  promi- 
ses to  give  Sodom  and  Samaria  to  that  people  whose 
sins  had  been  greater  than  either  of  those  had  commit- 
ted, for  daughters,  and  to  establish  with  them  an  ever- 
lasting covenant.  Our  antichristian  divines  have  been 
so  determined  to  maintain  the  doctrine  of  endless,  un- 
merciful punishment,  that  they  have  ventured  to  say 
that  nothing  in  the  16th  of  Ezekiel,  in  the  least  favors 
the  opinion  that  there  is  mercy  either  for  Jerusalem, 
Samaria  and  her  daughters,  or  Sodom  and  her  daugh- 
ters ;  while  the  Holy  Ghost  on  the  other  hand  testifies 
that  Samaria  and  Sodom  shall  be  given  to  Jerusalem 
for  daughters,  and  that  God  will  establish  with  her  an 
everlasting  covenant,  and  that  she  shall  know  the 
Lord.  24* 


282  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

On  this  subject  it  is  just  to  observe,  if  we  believe  the 
Holy  Ghost,  we  must  disbelieve  the  doctrine  and  ar- 
guments of  our  divines;  if  we  disbelieve  their  doc- 
trines and  arguments,  we  must  admit,  however  hard  it 
may  seem,  that  their  doctrine  is  the  doctrine  of  anti- 
christ, and  that  their  arguments  are  directed  against 
the  truth   as  it  is  in  Jesus. 

Having  given  this  subject  as  ample  support  as  the 
limits  of  the  present  work  will  admit,  and  humbly  con- 
ceiving that  this  support  will  be  considered  sufficient 
to  substantiate  the  truth  to  which  the  arguments  have 
been  directed,  it  is  necessary  to  conclude  these  illustra- 
tions, by  observing, 

1.  That  on  such  an  examination  of  the  Scriptures 
as  the  foregoing  notes  and  illustrations  have  led  to,  I 
am  under  the  necessity  of  saying,  that  the  light  of  di- 
vine revelation  appears  more  evident  in  the  restoration 
of  all  mankind,  from  sin  to  holiness,  from  death  to 
life,  from  misery  to  happiness,  and  from  mortality  to 
immortality  through  the  mediation  of  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord,  than  it  formerly  did,  though  I  was  satisfied  be- 
fore that  this  truth  was  embraced  in  the  Scriptures. 

2.  That  the  view  taken,  in  this  work,  of  the  deal- 
ings of  God  with  mankind,  in  so  disposing  of  rewards 
and  punishments  as  to  give  every  suitable  encourage- 
ment to  moral  virtue  and  religious  piety,  and  faithful- 
ly and  successfully  to  correct  the  wickedness  of  his 
alienated  offspring,  comports  incomparably  better  with 
the  spirit  of  Christ  and  all  the  graces  of  the  gospel, 
than  the  sentiment  does,  which  represents  divine  jus- 
tice to  be  unmerciful  in  the  execution  of  punishment. 


NOTES  ON  THE  PARABLES.  283 

JOHN  V.  28,  29. 

[The  following  pages  are  supplementary  to  the  former  editions.] 


1  Marvel  not  at  this;  for  the  hour  is  coming,  in  the  which  all  that  are  in 
their  graves  shall  hear  his  voice,  and  shall  come  forth:  they  that  have  done 
good,  unto  the  resurrection  of  life;  and  they  that  have  done  evil,  unto  the 
resurrection  of  damnation.' — John  v,  28,  29. 

This  passage  is  one  of  a  number  which  the  popular 
doctrine  of  the  Church  has  applied  to  a  future  state  of 
condemnation  and  misery.  It  has  been  used  to  set 
forth  and  maintain  that  those  who  do  good  in  this 
world  will  be  raised  from  the  dead  hereafter  and  be 
justified  unto  life  in  an  immortal  constitution,  for  the 
good  works  which  they  did  in  this  world  ;  and  that 
those  who  do  evil  in  this  mortal  state,  will  be  raised, 
at  the  same  time,  into  an  immortal  constitution,  and 
condemned  to  everlasting  misery  for  the  evil  they  did 
while  on  earth. 

In  the  first  place  we  shall  suggest  some  arguments 
against  the  doctrine,  for  the  support  of  which  this  text 
has  been  used. 

In  this  doctrine  there  is  a  manifest  want  of  that  due 
connexion  between  cause  and  effect,  which  we  find  so 
wonderfully  displayed  in  the  natural  order  of  things. 
While  we  are  here  in  the  body,  if  we  feed  on  whole- 
some and  nourishing  food,  the  natural  effects  are 
health  and  strength  of  body ;  but  if  we,  from  whatev- 
er cause,  feed  on  that  which  is  unwholesome  or  poi- 
sonous, the  consequences  are  the  reverse  of  the  former, 
and  sickness  and  weakness  are  sure  to  follow.  But  it 
would  be  evidently  absurd  to  attempt  to  argue,  on 
physical  principles,  that  these  effects,  either  of  health 


284 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 


and  sickness,  or  strength  and  weakness,  will  be  expe^ 
rienced  in  a  state  of  immortality,  after  this  corruptible 
shall  have  put  on  incorruption,  and  this  mortal  shall 
have  put  on  immortality.  Now  it  is  plain  from  the 
Scriptures,  that  all  sin,  all  wickedness,  and  all  evil  do- 
ings are  the  works  of  the  flesh  ;  and  there  appears  no 
more  reason  for  supposing  that  the  effects  of  these 
works  are  to  extend  into  the  immortal  state,  than  for 
supposing  that  the  effecrs  of  wholesome,  or  unwhole- 
some food  are  to  extend  to  that  state. 

If  one  sow  grain  in  a  field  in  New  England,  it  fol- 
lows of  natural  consequence,  that  the  harvest  will  be 
gathered  from  the  same  field ;  but  there  appears  no 
natural  connexion,  as  between  cause  and  effect,  be- 
tween sowing  grain  in  this  country  and  gathering  a 
harvest  from  it  in  Europe.  St.  Paul  says,  '  He  that 
sovveth  to  the  flesh,  shall  of  the  flesh  reap  corruption.' 
This  seems  perfectly  natural,  because,  '  Whatsoever  a 
man  sovveth,  that  shall  he  also  reap.'  But  to  argue 
that  corruption  may  be  gathered  from  an  incorruptible 
state,  is  to  argue  against  the  very  nature  of  things. 

The  apostle  to  the  Romans  is  explicit  on  this  sub- 
ject, when  he  says,  '  There  is,  therefore,  now,  no  con- 
demnation to  them  which  are  in  Christ  Jesus,  who 
walk  not  after  the  flesh  but  after  the  spirit.' 

By  this  it  is  evident  that  condemnation  cannot  exist 
any  longer  than  men  walk  after  the  flesh ;  and  none 
pretend  that  any  of  the  human  family  will  walk  after 
the  flesh  in  that  incorruptible  state  of  which  the  apos- 
tle speaks,  when  he  says,  '  This  corruptible  shall  put 
on  incorruption,  and  this  mortal  shall  put  on  immortal- 
ity.' 

We  can  easily  discern  the  natural  connexion  between 
all  the  vices  which  are  practised  by  men,  and  the  infe- 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  285 

licities  which  these  vices  introduce  into  society,  and 
the  unhappiness  they  occasion  to  those  who  practise 
them ;  but  it  is  totally  impossible  to  trace  the  connex- 
ion between  these  vices  and  a  state  of  permanent  mise- 
ery  in  the  world  to  come. 

2.  As  this  opinion  of  a  state  of  immortal  happiness 
for  the  good  works  of  men  in  this  life,  and  a  state  of 
endless  misery  for  their  evil  works  while  here,  is  sup- 
posed to  fall  under  the  notice  of  those  scriptures 
which  teach  us  that  God  will  render  to  every  man  ac- 
cording to  his  works,  it  seems  proper  that  we  look  to 
see  if  we  can  find  such  a  proportion  between  the  vir- 
tues which  are  practised  in  this  life,  and  a  state  of  im- 
mortal felicity ;  and  between  the  vices  committed 
here,  and  a  state  of  endless  torment,  as  will  justify 
this  doctrine.  The  moment  this  inquiry  is  proposed, 
the  absurdity  of  the  doctrine  appears ;  for  there  is  a 
much  nearer  proportion  between  the  labor  of  one  hour 
and  the  wealth  of  the  whole  world  as  its  reward,  than 
can  be  seen  between  all  the  good  works  which  a  man 
could  perform  during  a  long  life,  and  the  recompense 
of  an  immortal  state  of  complete  happiness.  Nor  is 
there  so  great  a  proportion  between  all  the  sins  which 
one  could  possibly  commit  in  this  life  and  the  recom- 
pense of  a  state  of  endless  misery,  as  between  the 
smallest  offence  ever  committed  on  earth,  and  a  retali- 
ation of  the  most  severe  and  protracted  tortures  which 
could  be  inflicted  in  this  mortal  state.  These  state- 
ments are  self-evident  facts,  which  we  know  to  be  true 
as  well  as  we  know  that  a  day  is  not  as  long  as  a 
year,  or  that  one  grain  is  not  equal  to  a  ton. 

According  to  the  Scriptures,  we  are  authorised  to 
believe,  that  the  blessings  of  the  gospel  in  this  life  are 
far  too  great  to  be  considered  as  being  according  to 


286  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

our  works.  St.  Paul  says,  '  Who  hath  saved  us,  and 
called  us  with  an  holy  calling,  not  according  to  our 
works,  but  according  to  his  own  purpose  and  grace 
which  was  given  us  in  Christ  Jesus  before  the  world 
began.'  Again  the  same  author  says,  '  Not  by  works 
of  righteousness  which  we  have  done,  but  according  to 
his  mercy  he  saved  us.'  Now  if  the  salvation  obtained 
in  this  life  by  the  grace  of  God,  is  too  great  to  be  con- 
sidered according  to  our  works,  there  surely  is  not  the 
shadow  of  propriety  in  supposing  that  a  state  of  per- 
manent felicity  in  the  eternal  world  is  according  to  our 
works  in  this.  But  the  proportion  between  our  good 
works  in  this  world  and  a  state  of  endless  happiness  in 
the  next,  is  as  near  as  between  our  sins  here  and  a 
state  of  endless  misery  hereafter. 

3.  This  doctrine  of  endless  rewards  and  punishments 
is  involved  in  an  insuperable  difficulty  for  the  want  of 
power  to  distinguish  between  the  meet  subjects  for 
these  respective  rewards. 

What  will  this  doctrine  do,  for  instance,  with  David, 
king  of  Israel  ?  That  he  did  evil,  and  that  to  a  most 
heinous  degree,  is  evident  from  the  faithful  records  of 
Scripture.  Now  if  they,  who  in  this  life  have  done 
evil  are  to  be  raised  into  an  immortal  state  of  misery, 
David  will  be  thus  raised  to  condemnation.  It  may  be 
said  that  he  became  a  good  man,  and  did  many  good 
things  after  he  committed  the  abominations  which  are 
recorded  of  him.  This  we  are  happy  to  acknowledge  ; 
but  what  does  this  prove  ?  only  that  David  was  like 
other  men,  and  sometimes  did  that  which  was  right, 
and  at  other  times  that  which  was  wrong  ?  For  ano- 
ther instance,  where  will  the  doctrine  under  considera- 
tion place  St.  Paul  in  the  eternal  slate?  That  he  did 
evil  in  this  world  the  Scriptures  as  fully  prove  as  they 


NOTES    ON    THE     PARABLES.  287 

prove  any  thing.  But  it  will  be  said  that  this  man 
was  reformed  and  became  a  good  man.  This  too  we 
are  happy  to  acknowledge ;  but  what  more  does  this 
prove  than  that  St.  Paul  was  like  David,  and  like  oth- 
er men,  a  changeable  creature,  who  sometimes  did 
right  and  sometimes  wrong?  The  truth  is,  all  men 
are  in  some  degree  righteous  and  in  some  degree  wick- 
ed ;  and  it  follows,  that  if  all  who  do  good  in  this 
world  are  to  be  eternally  happy  hereafter,  all  mankind 
will  be  happy  ;  and  on  the  other  hand,  if  all  who  do 
evil  in  this  life  are  to  be  endlessly  miserable  in  the 
next,  all  men  will  be  thus  miserable 

4.  The  doctrine  under  consideration  is  absurd  in 
that  it  supposes  that  the  good  works  and  virtues  of 
men,  in  this  imperfect  state,  are  more  meritorious  than 
the  perfect  and  permanent  virtue  which  will  character- 
ize the  blessed  in  heaven  ;  for  if  that  immortal  state 
of  holiness  and  felicity  is  merited  by  the  virtue  imper- 
fectly practised  in  this  mortal  state,  there  remains  no 
merit  in  the  virtues  practised  in  the  future  world,  nor 
any  reward  for  that  superior  degree  of  righteousness. 
And  on  the  other  hand,  this  doctrine  involves  another 
absurdity,  in  that  it  recompenses  the  sins  of  this  life 
with  a  state  of  endless  and  positive  misery,  but  reserves 
no  punishment  for  the  sins  of  which  the  souls  of  the 
miserable  will  be  guilty  in  that  state  where  they  will 
sin  without  restraint.  Why  should  imperfect  right- 
eousness merit  an  eternity  of  happiness,  and  yet  per- 
fect righteousness  merit  nothing?  Why  should  the 
sins  of  this  life  be  recompensed  with  a  state  of  ever- 
lasting or  eternal  misery,  and  the  entire  sin  of  the  eter- 
nal world  go  forever  unpaniehed?  Once  more:  this 
doctrine  maintains  that  God  will  punish  his  rational 
offspring  without  mercy,  without  designing  their  rec- 


288  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

onciliation  or  profit.  This,  of  all  the  objections  which 
we  have  to  the  doctrine  under  consideration,  is  the 
greatest.  This  supposes  that  God  possesses  a  worse 
disposition,  and  practises  greater  cruelty,  than  the  wick- 
ed possess  or  practise.  All  the  cruelties  of  heathen 
idolatry  are  tender  mercies  in  comparison  with  the 
cruelty  attributed  to  our  heavenly  Father  by  this  doc- 
trine. People  may  be  deceived  by  the  names  which 
superstition  uses  to  identify  this  cruelty  in  God  ;  but 
the  name  of  a  thing  alters  not  its  nature.  Vindictive 
wrath,  holy  anger,  retributive  justice,  are  terms  used 
to  designate  a  property  of  the  divine  nature  which, 
when  examined  impartially  and  without  a  superstitious 
awe,  is  found  to  be  worthy  of  no  better  name  than  un- 
merciful malevolence.  To  attribute  such  a  quality  or 
character  to  God,  we  view  as  the  vilest  act  that  moral 
darkness  has  ever  produced ;  and  we  reject  the  senti- 
timent  with  the  deepest  horror. 

Let  it  be  distinctly  noticed  here,  that  this  argument 
does  not  lie  between  the  doctrine  of  endless  punish- 
ment, and  no  punishment  for  sin  :  we  have  ever  main- 
tained that  sin  is  punished ;  but  we  find  it  is  punished 
in  the  world  where  it  is,  and  not  in  an  immortal  state 
where  it  is  not. 

Having,  as  was  proposed,  suggested  a  few  arguments 
against  the  doctrine,  for  the  support  of  which  our  text 
has  been  generally  used,  our  next  labor  will  be  direct- 
ed to  bring  the  portion  of  Scripture  under  considera- 
tion, before  the  reader  in  connexion  with  such  other 
passages  as  relate  to  events  which  evidently  belong  to 
the  present  state  of  existence,  but  where  language  sig- 
nifying a  resurrection  is  used ;  at  the  same  time  care- 
fully comparing  with  them  those  passages  which  evi- 
dently relate  to  a  resurrection  into  an   immortal  state, 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  289 

that  it  may  be  clearly  understood  that  the  latter  and 
former  classes  of  texts,  cannot  with  any  propriety,  be 
applied  to  the  same  event. 

The  arguments  to  which  we  have  attended,  are  de- 
signed to  show  that  the  text  under  consideration  ought 
not  to  be  applied  in  the  usual  way,  by  showing  that 
the  doctrine  supported  by  it,  when  so  used,  is  not  true. 
The  arguments  now  designed,  will  go  to  show  that  the 
Scriptures  make  use  of  words  signifying  a  resurrection, 
in  a.  figurative  sense,  when  nothing  beyond  this  mortal 
state  is  intended ;  that  the  passage  under  consideration 
is  of  this  description,  and  that  it  is  proved  to  be  so  by 
comparing  it  with  other  passages  which  evidently  have 
their  application  in  time,  and  also  by  comparing  it 
with  passages  which  speak  of  a  resurrection  into  an 
immortal  state,  by  observing  the  difference  there  is 
between  the  two  classes. 

That  our  text  evidently  belongs  to  that  class  of  pas- 
sages which  speak  of  a  spiritual  resurrection,  or  of  a 
resurrection  which  has  no  allusion  to  a  future  state 
of  being,  may  be  seen  by  attending  to  the  context, 
which  reads  as  follows  :  '  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you, 
he  that  heareth  my  word,  and  believeth  on  Him  that 
sent  me,  hath  everlasting  life,  and  shall  not  come  into 
condemnation,  but  is  passed  from  death  unto  life.5 
Here  it  is  perfectly  plain  that  the  death  from  which 
the  believers  had  passed,  was  of  a  moral  and  not  a  lite- 
ral kind ;  and  it  is  perfectly  plain  also,  that  the  life  in- 
to which  they  had  already  entered,  was  of  a  spiritual 
nature,  which  believers  enjoy  by  the  means  of  faith 
in  the  word  of  Jesus,  in  the  present  time.  And  it  i* 
furthermore  evident,  that  the  condemnation  mention- 
ed in  the  passage  already  quoted,  is  a  eondemnatioa 
which  is  the  consequence  of  unbelief  in  the  present 
25 


290  NOTES    ON   THE    PARABLES. 

life,  and  is  the  same  as  is  signified  by  the  following 
words  of  Jesus ;  *  He  that  believeth  not  is  condemned 
already/  The  next  words  to  those  quoted  from  our 
context,  are  the  following  :  '  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto 
you,  the  hour  is  coming,  and  now  is,  when  the  dead 
shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  they  that 
hear  shall  live.  For  as  the  Father  has  life  in  himself, 
so  hath  he  given  to  the  Son  to  have  life  in  himself, 
and  hath  given  him  authority  to  execute  judgment 
also,  because  he  is  the  Son  of  man.'  It  is  abundantly 
evident  that  the  Saviour  still  continued  to  speak  of 
the  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,  of  their  hearing  and 
believing  his  word,  and  of  the  spiritual  life,  which 
faith  in  the  gospel  wrought  in  them.  And  it  is  also 
evident  that  his  authority,  which  he  here  mentions,  to 
execute  judgment,  administers  that  condemnation  into 
which  the  unbeliever  is  brought.  Our  text  follows  the 
words  last  quoted  ;  '  Marvel  not  at  this :  for  the  hour 
is  coming,  in  the  which,  all  that  are  in  their  graves 
shall  hear  his  voice  and  come  forth ;  they  that  have 
done  good  unto  the  resurrection  of  life,  and  they  that 
have  done  evil  unto  the  resurrection  of  damnation. ' 
Now  as  it  is  acknowledged  by  all,  that  Christ  was 
speaking  figuratively  in  the  context,  until  he  came 
to  the  words  of  our  text,  it  seems  entirely  unwarrant- 
ed to  make  him  now,  all  of  a  sudden,  speak  of  a  liter- 
al resurrection. 

It  is  altogether  more  reasonable  to  suppose,  that  as 
he  meant  the  dead  in  a  moral  or  spiritual  sense,  by  the 
dead  who  should  hear  his  voice  and  live,  he  now 
means  the  sinful  state  of  carnal  minds  by  the  graves 
from  which  the  dead  were  to  come  forth. 

That  the  word  graves  is  used  figuratively  in  Scrip- 
ture, we  learn  from  the  37th  of  Ezekiel,  where  the 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  291 

prophet  represents  the  return  of  the  captivity  of  Israel 
from  the  countries  where  they  had  been  scattered ;  first, 
by  the  resurrection  of  the  dry  bones  in  the  valley  of 
vision  ;  and  secondly,  by  bringing  them  out  of  their 
graves.  And  here  we  may  remark,  that  there  would 
be  the  same  propriety  in  understanding  the  prophet  to 
mean  a  figurative  resurrection  by  the  dry  bones,  rep- 
resenting the  return  of  Israel's  captivity ;  but  when 
he  speaks  of  bringing  them  out  of  their  graves,  to  mean 
iheir  resurrection  from  their  literal  graves  into  an  im- 
mortal state,  as  there  is  in  explaining  our  text  and  con- 
text in  the  usual  way. 

There  is  a  passage  in  the  12th  of  Daniel,  which 
commentators  very  justly  consider  a  parallel  passage 
with  our  text ;  it  reads  as  follows :  '  And  at  that  time 
shall  Michael  stand  up,  the  great  prince  which  standeth 
for  the  children  of  thy  people ;  and  there  shall  be  a 
time  of  trouble,  such  as  never  was  since  there  was  a 
nation,  even  to  that  same  time ;  and  at  that  time  thy 
people  shall  be  delivered,  every  one  that  shall  be  found 
written  in  the  book.  And  many  of  them  that  sleep  in 
the  dust  of  the  earth  shall  awTake,  some  to  everlasting 
life,  and  some  to  shame  and  everlasting  contempt.'  It 
seems  reasonable  to  suppose,  that  as  Jesus  came  to  fulfil 
the  law  and  the  prophets,  he  had  his  eye  on  this  pas- 
sage in  Daniel  when  he  spoke  the  words  of  our  text ; 
and  that  he  meant  by  those  who  were  in  the  graves, 
the  same  as  Daniel  meant  by  those  who  were  asleep 
in  the  dust  of  the  earth ;  and  by  those  who  should 
come  forth  to  the  resurrection  of  life,  he  meant  the 
same  that  Daniel  did  by  those  who  should  awake  from 
the  dust  of  the  earth  to  everlasting  life ;  and  by  those 
who  should  come  forth  to  the  resurrection  of  con- 
demnation,   the  same   that    Daniel  meant  by  those 


292  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

who  should  come  forth  unto  '  shame  and  everlasting 
contempt.' 

Will  the  reader  now  say  that  all  this  may  be,  and 
that  both  Daniel  and  the  Saviour  were  speaking  of  the 
resurrection  of  mankind  to  a  state  of  immortal  happi- 
ness and  misery  in  a  future  world  !  To  this  we  reply, 
when  Jesus  spoke  to  his  disciples  of  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem,  and  of  the  calamities  which  should  short- 
ly come  on  the  Jews,  he  uses  the  words  of  Daniel 
nearly  verbatim.  By  this  circumstance  we  are  in- 
structed that  both  Daniel  and  the  Saviour  spoke  of 
the  same  time  and  of  the  same  events,  and  that  that 
time  was,  when  Jerusalem  was  destroyed  by  the  Ro- 
mans. 

The  true  meaning  of  the  words  of  Jesus  and  of  the 
passage  in  Daniel,  appears  to  be  this  :  those  Jews  who 
listened  to  the  mild  voice  of  the  gospel,  proclaimed 
by  Christ  and  his  apostles,  came  forth  from  spiritual 
death  to  the  life  of  faith  in  the  new  covenant ;  but  those 
Jews,  who  rejected  the  doctrine  of  salvation,  crucified 
the  Saviour,  and  persecuted  his  apostles,  were  those 
who  had  done  evil,  and  they  were  roused  from  the 
dormant  state  in  which  they  lay,  as  in  a  covenant  of 
death  and  a  refuge  of  lies,  by  the  voice  of  judgment, 
and  came  forth  to  the  resurrection  of  that  condemna- 
tion which  is  so  particularly  pointed  out  in  the  24th 
and  25th  chapters  of  Matthew. 

In  the  account  of  the  resurrection  noticed  in  our 
text,  some  are  raised  to  life  and  some  to  condemna- 
tion ;  and  this  account  we  have  seen  agrees  so  well 
with  the  testimony  quoted  from  Daniel,  that  no  doubt 
remains  that  the  Saviour  and  the  prophet  spoke  of  the 
same  event.  But  can  we  make  St.  Paul's  account  of 
the  resurrection  of  all  mankind  into  an  immortal  state 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 


293 


agree  with  these  several  testimonies  so  as  to  be  satisfi- 
ed that  the  apostle  was  treating  on  the  same  subject  of 
which  Daniel  and  the  Saviour  treated  ? 

Jesus  says  that  '  they  who  have  done  good  shall 
come  forth  to  the  resurrection  of  life,  and  they  that 
have  done  evil  to  the  resurrection  of  damnation.' 
Daniel  says,  '  And  many  of  them  that  sleep  in  the  dust 
of  the  earth  shall  come  forth,  some  to  everlasting  life, 
and  some  to  shame  and  everlasting  contempt.'  St. 
Paul  says,  i  As  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall 
all  be  made  alive.'  And  he  is  particular  in  stating 
the  constitution  which  all  men  will  receive  in  the  res- 
urrection of  which  he  speaks.  It  is  spiritual,  incor- 
ruptible, immortal  and  glorious ;  it  is  the  image  of  the 
Lord  from  heaven.  He  makes  no  distinction.  He 
says  nothing  of  the  good  works  of  some  and  the  evil 
works  of  others.  His  testimony  is,  in  fact,  directly 
against  any  distinction  or  difference  in  that  immortal 
state  :  All  are  made  alive  in  Christ ;  and  as  this  life  is 
spiritual,  incorruptible  and  immortal,  this  testimony 
agrees  with  the  testimony  of  Jesus  to  the  Sadducees 
on  the  same  subject  of  the  resurrection,  in  which  he 
says,  that  in  the  resurrection,  they  are  the  children  of 
God,  equal  unto  the  angels,  and  can  die  no  more.  In 
this  debate  with  the  Sadducees,  Jesus  gave  no  intima- 
tion that  any  would  rise  from  the  dead  to  a  state  of  con- 
demnation, but  was  particular  in  saying  that  all  live 
unto  God. 

In  our  present  light  of  this  subject,  we  can  plainly 
see,  that  by  supposing  that  Jesus  spoke  in  our  text  of 
the  same  subject  of  which  he  spoke  in  his  reply  to 
the  Sadducees,  we  make  him  contradict  himself.  And 
by  supposing  that  our  text  is  a  testimony  of  the  same 
event  of  which  St.  Paul  spoke  in  his  argument  on  the 


294  NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES. 

resurrection  in  the  15th  chapter  of  1st  Corinthians,  we 
set  the  testimony  of  Jesus  and  St.  Paul  at  an  irrecon- 
cileable  variance. 

By  applying,  in  an  indiscriminate  manner,  those 
passages  of  Scripture  which  specially  belong  to  the 
temporal,  mutable  state  of  man  in  this  life,  and  those 
which  speak  of  an  immortal  state,  all  to  the  future  ex- 
istence of  mankind,  the  greatest  absurdities  have  been 
supported  by  the  Scriptures.  In  the  same  way  the 
dispute  between  those  who  contend  for  salvation  by 
the  agency  of  the  creature,  and  those  who  maintain 
that  works  are  out  of  the  question  relative  to  salvation, 
has  been  protracted  for  ages  in  the  christian  church. 
And  yet  if  the  passages  of  Scripture,  which  are  quoted 
on  both  sides  of  the  argument  were  applied  to  their 
respective  subjects,  there  would  be  no  room  for  dispute, 
nor  occasion  for  any  difference  of  sentiment. 

For  instance,  the  account  we  have  of  the  judgment 
in  the  25th  of  Matthew,  proceeds  according  to  the 
works  of  those  who  are  judged  ;  and  those  who  are 
welcomed  to  the  kingdom,  are  justified  according  to 
their  works,  and  those  who  are  sentenced  to  punish- 
ment are  so  condemned  according  to  their  conduct. 

Now  as  this  passage  is  applied  to  the  eternal  state 
of  the  unseen  world  by  both  parties  in  the  dispute  just 
named,  those  who  rest  the  final  justification  of  the  crea- 
ture on  his  works,  seem  to  have  a  decided  advantage 
in  the  dispute.  And  it  is  all  in  vain  for  the  opposer  to 
try  to  reconcile  this  passage  with  his  notion  of  justify- 
ing the  creature  to  everlasting  life  in  the  eternal  world, 
without  any  reference  to  his  good  works  in  this  world. 
This  he  will  not  attempt  to  do ;  but  in  order  to  do 
away  the  force  of  this  judgment,  he  quotes  some  pas- 
sages which  speak  of  grace  to  the  exclusion  of  works  ; 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  295 

such  as  the  following  :  '  Who  hath  saved  us  and  call- 
ed us  with  an  holy  calling,  not  according  to  our  works, 
but  according  to  his  own  purpose  and  grace.  Not  by 
works  of  righteousness,  which  we  have  done,  but  ac- 
cording to  his  mercy  he  saved  us.  By  grace  are  ye 
saved,  through  faith,  and  that  not  of  yourselves,  it  is 
the  gift  of  God.  Not  of  works  lest  any  man  should 
boast.  Now  to  him  that  worketh,  the  reward  is  not 
reckoned  of  grace  but  of  debt ;  but  to  him  that  work- 
eth not,  but  believeth  on  him  who  justifieth  the  un- 
godly, his  faith  is  accounted  unto  him  for  righteous- 
ness.' As  it  is  perfectly  evident  that  these  passages 
on  the  very  face  of  them,  were  designed  to  set  forth 
the  grace  and  salvation  of  God  in  a  way  to  exclude  the 
works  of  the  saved  as  the  ground  of  such  salvation,  the 
argument  now  fairly  turns  in  favor  of  the  other  side  ; 
for  here  are  more  passages  than  the  one  brought  in  fa- 
vor of  the  contrary  side. 

What  is  the  next  thing  to  be  done  ?  Does  he  who 
predicates  salvation  on  works,  undertake  to  show  that 
the  passages  last  quoted  do  not  indicate  the  fact  for 
which  they  are  adduced  ?  No  ;  for  this  would  be  la- 
bor lost ;  it  would  be  as  easy  to  prove  that  these  pas- 
sages mean  nothing.  What  then  does  he  do  ?  He 
proceeds  to  quote  some  more  scripture  on  the  other 
side,  such  as  the  following :  '  The  willing  and  obedient 
shall  eat  the  good  of  the  land,  but  if  ye  rebel  ye  shall 
be  devoured  with  the  sword,  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord 
hath  spoken  it.  The  soul  that  sinneth  it  shall  die. 
The  son  shall  not  bear  the  iniquity  of  the  father,  nei- 
ther shall  the  father  bear  the  iniquity  of  the  son ;  the 
righteousness  of  the  righteous  shall  be  upon  him,  and 
the  wickedness  of  the  wicked  shall  be  upon  him.  Say 
ye  to  the  righteous  that  it  shall  be  well  with  him;  for 


296  NOTES   ON    THE    PARABLES. 

they  shall  eat  the  fruit  of  their  doings.  Wo  unto  the 
wicked !  it  shall  be  ill  with  him ;  for  the  reward  of  his 
hands  shall  be  given  him.  For  the  Son  of  man  shall 
come  in  the  glory  of  his  Father,  with  his  angels,  and 
then  he  shall  reward  every  man  according  to  his 
works.  For  we  must  all  appear  before  the  judgment 
seat  of  Christ,  that  every  one  may  receive  the  things 
done  in  the  body  according  to  that  he  hath  done, 
whether  it  be  good  or  bad.  As  it  is  perfectly  evident 
that  these  last  quoted  passages  do  not  indicate  that 
men  are  justified  without  good  works,  but  in  conse- 
quence of  them,  the  dispute  stands  exactly  as  it  did 
when  it  began,  and  where  it  must  stand  until  these 
disputants  come  to  a  determination  to  understand  par- 
ticular passages  of  the  Scriptures  according  to  the 
particular  subjects  to  which  they  respectively  belong. 

All  those  passages  which  speak  of  judging  and  re- 
warding men  according  to  their  works,  have  their  true 
and  just  application  to  that  divine  economy  in  which 
our  heavenly  Father  administers  to  his  mortal  offspring 
that  discipline,  which  grows  from  his  love  and  faithful- 
ness, and  which  our  imperfection  requires. 

On  the  other  hand,  all  those  passages  which  speak 
of  the  abundant  grace  of  God,  of  his  great  love  to  sin- 
ners, of  his  saving  us,  not  according  to  our  works,  but 
according  to  his  own  purpose  and  grace,  which  was 
given  us  in  Christ  Jesus  before  the  world  began,  have 
their  true  and  just  application  to  that  divine  and  gra- 
cious economy  of  the  Father  of  our  spirits,  in  which  he 
has  made  ample  provision  for  the  spiritual  and  eternal 
welfare  of  all  mankind.  And  if  we  are  careful  to  keep 
the  different  subjects  of  which  the  Scriptures  treat,  as 
distinct  from  each  other  as  the  divine  testimony  re- 
quires, we  shall  never  apply  the  passage  under  consid- 


NOTES    ON    THE    PARABLES.  297 

eration  to  the  immortal  state  of  man  ;  nor  is  it  believ- 
ed, by  your  servant,  that  any  other  passage  can  be 
found,  which  speaks  of  rewarding  men  for  their  good 
works,  and  of  punishing  others  for  their  evil  works, 
which  can,  with  the  least  color  of  propriety  be  applied 
to  the  state  of  men,  when  this  mortal  shall  have  put  on 
immortality,  and  this  corruptible  incorruption.  To 
pretend  that  it  is  not  convenient  or  proper  for  men  to 
be  rewarded  in  this  world  according  to  their  works 
here,  is  more  absurd  than  it  would  be  to  argue,  that  it 
is  not  convenient  or  proper  for  children  to  receive  re- 
wards of  merit,  and  chastisement  for  disobedience,  at 
the  school  where  they  receive  their  education.  And 
to  contend  that  all  the  good  works,  and  all  the  evil 
works  done  in  this  mortal  state  are  to  be  judged  and 
recompensed  in  the  eternal  world,  is  a  thousand  times 
more  unreasonable  than  it  would  be  for  a  parent  of  vast 
wealth  to  go  to  the  schoolmaster  who  educated  his  chil- 
dren, and  demand  a  particular  account  of  every  thing 
his  children  did  while  at  school,  and  then  proceed  to 
make  his  last  will  and  testament  according  to  that  ac- 
count. 

To  conclude :  while  our  text  assures  us,  that  good 
works  will  never  go  unrewarded,  nor  evil  works  unre- 
compensed,  it  by  no  means  intrudes  on  the  eternal  in- 
heritance given  us  in  Christ  Jesus ;  nor  does  it  in  any 
way  contradict  the  testimony,  that,  '  As  in  Adam  all 
die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive.' 


Date  Due 

|§0*^Wi 

*|i  I  J,-,  iiiil^ri"^^^ 

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IN  U.  S.  A. 

